Story highlights Douglas Heye: Trump aides likely telling truth about not talking to him about climate change

Since it's not a critical issue for voters, it's not a priority for the Republican Party

Douglas Heye is a CNN political commentator and former deputy chief of staff to then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own.

(CNN) In the days since President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, reporters have asked every administration official they can about Trump's personal views on climate change. Often, they have expressed surprise when officials, such as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Pruitt, have said they have never discussed the issue with the President.

It can't be true, we're told, incredulously. The media -- and Democrats -- talk about the issue all the time. Surely Republicans must do the same.

Except we don't.

Douglas Heye

In late 2015, columnist Greg Sargent contacted me on a piece he was writing for the New Republic on where the Republican Congress intended to go on climate change (I had served as deputy chief of staff for then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor from 2012-2014).

If Greg was shocked when I told him not only were there no plans or discussions to move climate change legislation, he was positively apoplectic when I told him the issue itself had never come up in leadership meetings, House Republican Conference meetings or in any context that I could remember.

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