Story highlights Trump says there have been "bigger storms" than hurricanes Irma and Harvey when asked about climate change

Administration officials have consistently declined to discuss global warming

(CNN) President Donald Trump, pressed on whether back-to-back deadly hurricanes have changed his views on climate change, dodged the question on Thursday by contradicting past comments he made about the size of storms that have rocked Texas and Florida.

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday after touring damage from Hurricane Irma on Florida's west coast, said "we've had bigger storms than this" when asked about climate change.

"If you go back into the 1930s and the 1940s, and you take a look, we've had storms over the years that have been bigger than this," Trump said. "If you go back into the teens, you'll see storms that were as big or bigger. So we did have two horrific storms, epic storms, but if you go back into the '30s and '40s, and you go back into the teens, you'll see storms that were very similar and even bigger, OK?"

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