CNN's "New Day" on Thursday explored the possibility that President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE is "complicit" for Hurricane Florence as the historic storm bears down on the Carolina coast, with co-anchor John Avlon arguing his environmental policies "have been tearing down our defenses to climate change."

"Is President Trump complicit in this storm?" asked co-anchor Alisyn Camerota in introducing the segment while citing a Wednesday Washington Post editorial pointing the finger at the president for being complicit for "extreme weather" due to Environmental Protection Agency policies and downplaying climate change.

Opinion: Another hurricane is about to batter our coast. Trump is complicit. https://t.co/T8X2D10Hgv — Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 12, 2018

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"His policies have been tearing down our defenses to climate change, which is often a blame for extreme weather," Avlon answered during a "Reality Check" segment for the CNN morning program. "On the same day Trump was discussing Florence, his EPA proposed rolling back restrictions on emissions of methane. That's just the latest environmental policy targeted by the Trump Administration."

"It is so bad, according to — two Harvard scientists said it could lead to 80,000 unnecessary deaths every decade," he continued. "Warmer water means more intense storms. When President Trump called Hurricane Florence tremendously wet, he was on to something."

"This isn’t rocket science, it is climate science," Avlon concluded. "As long as we continue to aggressively ignore it, the cost in lives and dollars will escalate. That’s your reality check."

The Post's editorial came to a similar conclusion on Wednesday.

"When it comes to extreme weather, Mr. Trump is complicit. He plays down humans’ role in increasing the risks, and he continues to dismantle efforts to address those risks," it read.

Conservatives mocked the Post on social media.

This deserves to become a meme. https://t.co/UO0VDcY4Wl — Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) September 12, 2018

“The media won’t give Trump credit for the economy but they will blame him for a hurricane. You can’t make this stuff up.”- Conservative strategist Chris Barron https://t.co/oM5pvMcDKX — Chris Barron (@ChrisRBarron) September 12, 2018

“Another hurricane is about to batter our coast. Trump is complicit.” - headline in #WashingtonPost. This is a level of institutional insanity that cannot be reckoned with. It’s beyond any rational thought. #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder https://t.co/lmvvgUIbwg — James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 12, 2018

Breaking! Washington Post blames @realDonaldTrump for the hurricane. He's the fourth-grader running 'crazytown' AND a powerful genius controlling the weather! Who knew? https://t.co/IZWyW55rYF — Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) September 12, 2018

I didn’t know the president was a magician who could conjure hurricanes up... Did you?



Natural disasters, as you know, are natural disasters. This doesn’t help quell fears and evacuation preparation here in the Mid-Atlantic. Politicizing storms is stupid. You’re not helping... https://t.co/eP4VRzNgCe — Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) September 12, 2018

Hurricane Florence is being described by meteorologists as "catastrophic" with 20 to as much as 40 inches of rain expected to cause massive flooding, affecting millions of people in North and South Carolina.