@alextdaugherty
Sen. Bill Nelson blasted President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement at his Coral Gables office on Friday, saying that Republicans who support the president's decision are "not living in the real world."
"This is such a bad decision," Nelson said. "I don't know what set him off. It looks like he's being influenced by people like [former Trump campaign manager] Paul Manafort and the Breitbart guy."
"The Breitbart guy" is Trump aide Steve Bannon, the former executive of the conservative website Bretibart who was once registered to vote in Miami.
Bannon is said to have orchestrated the decision to withdraw from the landmark climate agreement signed by every country except for Nicaragua and Syria over the objections of Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner.
"Certainly you hear about the war within the White House and his daughter and son-in-law are on one side and the others are on the other side," Nelson said. "I can't imagine what is happening that they have come down on this decision to align themselves with Syria and Nicaragua instead of almost the entire rest of the world."
Gov. Rick Scott, who will likely challenge Nelson for his Senate seat in 2018, on Friday praised Trump's decision Thursday to withdraw from the Paris agreement.
Nelson did not attack Scott by name but said any elected official who denies that climate change is caused by humans is doing a disservice to the planet.
"When you have 99 percent of the scientists in the world tell you what in fact is happening, and in South Florida we know what's happening because we see the daily effects of sea level rise, and then the leadership of any governmental organization that denies that, then they're not living in the real world."
A number of South Florida Republicans, including Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado voiced opposition to Trump's decision.
Comments