(Madrid, Spain) — President Trump understands that climate change is “mostly hype” but is being held back from taking tougher action against the scam by his own advisors who fear it might cost him votes, his ex-science advisor Dr William Happer says.

Dr Happer, Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Princeton University and — till September this year — senior director at the National Security Council’s Office for Emerging Technology, was speaking in Madrid, Spain. He was attending a conference staged by the Heartland Institute, held to coincide with the United Nations COP25 climate summit. (The full livestream can be viewed here)

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, he said:

I think [Trump] recognises that [climate change] is mostly hype. But his advisors are worried that this is an issue that might cost more votes than it wins. I can understand that. My speciality is science and engineering, not winning elections. His advisors worry. They feel like they have to protect [President Trump] from himself.

But how can Happer be so sure that man-made climate change isn’t a problem?

I’m an atomic physicist and spectroscopist, I’ve done a lot of optical physics, I became best known for inventing the sodium guidestar which is used to correct for atmospheric turbulence so I’ve known a lot about the atmosphere for many years, and a lot about spectroscopy — all of which are the prime movers of global warming. And if you look from that point of view you don’t see how anyone could be concerned because there’s just not that much effect there.

What about all those scientists who, we’re told, think it’s a problem?

Most of them just don’t know what they’re talking about.

Is there a danger that vested interests are going to make it harder and harder to counter climate change alarmism?

Oh yes. The Deep State — meaning the permanent bureaucracy — has a lot of money tied up in this. So they’re not going to give up this without a big fight. But that’s the way Washington has always been. One of the reasons I went to the White House was I did my best to promote a serious review of climate — what do we know, what do we not know — I think the President would like to do that but for the reasons I mentioned I alluded to it was not done. Maybe he will do it on the second term if he is re-elected.

Would it help if California went 100 per cent “zero carbon”, as green activists are demanding?

I think it would be very helpful. It would be bad for the poor citizens of [California] but it would be good for the rest of the world. One of the advantages we have in the United States over other countries is that we have states, and so a state can try out something which might be a good idea or which might be a terrible idea without affecting the entire country. So we should take advantage of this. Let California do everything that the Greens demand them to do. Let’s see what will happen. I know what will happen… It will be a disaster. Jobs will be lost, there will be blackouts, it will be the ultimate morality play. We’ll see how some of the movie stars like what they’ve created….