In his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump is aggressively using disinformation about climate policies to attack his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Trump has falsely claimed that Harris wants to ban gas stoves and red meat, stoking fears among voters despite these claims having no factual basis.
This summer, despite the backdrop of heatwaves and hurricanes, climate change has barely surfaced as a significant issue in the political debates. Instead, the focus has shifted to personal attacks and misinformation. With President Joe Biden stepping back from the race, Trump has sought new angles of attack, one of which involves distorting the Democrats’ climate agenda to fuel online disinformation.
During a rally in Minnesota in late July, Trump falsely alleged that Harris advocated reducing red meat consumption to combat climate change. He further claimed that Harris “wants to get rid of cows” and, echoing conspiracy theorists, suggested that she aims to “reduce the population,” referencing a misstep she made last year when discussing pollution reduction.
In August, Republican candidate J.D. Vance followed suit, accusing Harris of planning to ban gas stoves. This narrative gained traction among conservatives on social media, especially after photos emerged of Harris and her husband cooking on a gas stove during Thanksgiving 2023.
Political analysts point out that Trump’s strategy is a tried-and-true tactic: distorting an opponent’s positions to make them seem extreme and unacceptable to voters. Both Trump and Vance have also criticized the Democrats’ stance on fracking, a technique used predominantly in the oil and gas industry, although Harris has avoided taking a strong stance on the issue recently.
Environmental activists generally view Harris as more progressive than Joe Biden, who promoted the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to support the energy transition. Harris has also been recognized for her actions against major oil companies during her time as California’s Attorney General.
A spokesperson for Harris did not directly address the Republican attacks but emphasized that she envisions a future where “all Americans breathe clean air, drink clean water, and have access to reliable and affordable energy.”
For environmental groups like the League of Conservation Voters, the Republican disinformation campaign is seen as a “senseless scare tactic” aimed at undermining climate progress.
Meanwhile, Trump has pledged to continue oil drilling “at any cost” if re-elected and frequently downplays the threats posed by climate change. In a recent exchange with Elon Musk, Trump dismissed concerns about global warming, claiming that “the biggest threat isn’t global warming; the oceans will only rise a few millimeters over the next 400 years.” Musk had raised the possibility of a more sustainable future, particularly through solar energy, without demonizing the oil industry.
