U.S. Republican & Independent Climate Scepticism Spreading — Despite Recent Natural Disasters

Republicans are more skeptical than ever that climate change is a problem, and the partisan gap on the issue appears to be widening under President Donald Trump. Sixty-nine percent of Republicans say the threat of climate change is “exaggerated,” according to a new Gallup poll.

That’s compared to only 4% of Democrats who said the same thing.

While the poll indicates the majority of Americans agree with the scientific consensus and are concerned about climate change, Republicans are less convinced — even compared to last year.

In 2017, 53% of Republicans agreed that most scientists believe climate change is occurring. That number declined to 42% in 2018, as the Trump Administration has scrubbed mentions of climate change from federal websites, instructed bureaucrats from different agencies to refrain from using the term, and backed out of the Paris Agreement.