Does Trump Really Have a Mandate?
Covering Climate Now
A global journalism initiative committed to more urgent and informed coverage of climate change.
“Crushing .” “Decisive .” “Overwhelming .” Those are some of the adjectives news stories have used to describe Donald Trump’s election triumph. Trump himself said in his victory speech that the American people had given him “an unprecedented and powerful mandate” to enact his agenda, a claim repeated by his political allies. As regards climate change, that agenda includes “drill, baby, drill,” withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and other policies that would further overheat an already dangerously overheated planet.
Credulous early news coverage spread the narrative that Trump won a massive victory, but the ultimate vote count tells a different story. With some states still completing their final tally, Trump is projected to win less than half of the popular vote —?49.87%, at last count . Which means that more Americans voted against Trump than voted for him.
Trump did, however, score a resounding 312 to 226 victory in the Electoral College, and he’ll have narrow Republican majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate. In terms of governing power, there’s no question that he won big.
But governing power is not the same as a popular mandate, and it’s important for journalists not to conflate the two. Of course Trump and his allies want to claim a popular mandate: If everyone believes that, it’s easier to implement his agenda. But that’s not what the final vote count reveals.
Meanwhile, public opinion surveys show that 74% of Americans (and 89% percent of people around the world) want government action against climate change. Separate? surveys show that roughly 70% of the public want to know more about climate change. (US-based journalists can find the exact percentage for your area here .)
As journalists, our job is to prioritize what our audience wants to know. Trump’s return to the White House complicates that task, as newsrooms are bound to be stretched by the ensuing chaos and Trump’s threats to “go after” media he doesn’t like. Climate news may get folded into existing stories more. If so, it will be more important than ever that all journalists, not just dedicated climate reporters, make the climate connection to the news of the day, whether it’s extreme weather or mass deportations, affordable insurance or public health.
As long as humans burn more oil, gas, and coal, as Trump wants to do, extreme weather will keep hitting harder and more often. The public already wonders what’s going on, what role climate change might be playing, and what they can do to protect themselves. That’s the story we journalists have to keep telling — one for which, sadly, we’ll have plenty of news pegs over the next four years.
From Us
COP29 Reporting Guide & cheatsheet. Whether you’re on the ground in Baku or reporting on the summit from afar, CCNow’s COP29 Reporting Guide concisely acquaints you with the issues and context you need to give your audience accurate and engaging coverage. We’ve also got a cheatsheet that provides info on key negotiating groups, need-to-know acronyms, journalistic resources, and more.
Locally Sourced. The latest edition of Locally Sourced , CCNow’s biweekly newsletter for local journalists, explained how climate change is contributing to drought across the US and giving rise to “flash droughts,” which form and rapidly intensify when dry spells are accompanied by abnormally warm temperatures. Check out all our Locally Sourced newsletters and sign up !
Noteworthy Stories
COP29 | The value of X. World leaders gathered in Baku have so far failed to reach an agreement on climate finance, the money rich countries will pay to poorer countries to help them adapt to climate change and transition to green energy. In the latest draft of a deal, in the space where the text would have specified an annual climate finance goal — the need is at least $1 trillion — leaders were outraged to find only an “X.” By Fiona Harvey , Patrick Greenfield , Dharna Noor , and Adam Morton for the Guardian…
COP29 | For richer or poorer. Leaders generally agree rich countries should pay up when it comes to climate finance, but now they can’t agree on which countries count as “rich.” The US and European countries are urging that China and India, for example, whose economies have grown rapidly in recent decades, be required to join the ranks of “developed”? — and, thus, paying — countries. China and India, however, point to the relatively low per capita income in their countries as a reason they shouldn’t. By Jake Bittle for Grist…
COP29 | “Rehashed rhetoric” in Brazil. As negotiations in Baku struggle onward, the agreement that emerged this week from a coinciding meeting of the G20, in Brazil, has been met with mixed reviews. In their communique, G20 leaders called for scaling up climate finance investments and stressed the importance of not breaching the 2-degrees-Celsius threshold for global warming. But nowhere did they mention the need to transition away from fossil fuels — leading to criticism of insufficient and “rehashed rhetoric.” By Jayashree Nandi for The Hindustan Times…
The Amazon COP. The Brazilian city of Belém will play host to next year’s COP30. It would seem a symbolic fit, given the city’s location in the Amazon, but summit attendees shouldn’t imagine a picturesque rainforest setting: Life in Belém has long been beset by poverty, violence, and rampant pollution. By Fabiano Maisonnave for the Associated Press…
Drilling on tribal lands. In three western US states — New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — tribes have agreed with state governments and fossil fuel interests to increase drilling for natural gas on tribal lands, for export to Asian markets. The deal will bring needed revenue to tribal communities, but fossil fuel exploitation in the region has also contributed to significant health issues in Indigenous communities, not to mention extreme heat and drought in the region brought on by climate change. By Hilary Beaumont for Floodlight…
Fossil fueled cabinet. As the cabinet for a second Trump administration takes shape, the incoming president’s intent to ramp up fossil fuel exploitation and scale back renewables comes through loud and clear. Picks so far include an energy secretary nominee who has said “there is no climate crisis” and an interior secretary nominee with deep ties to the fossil fuel industry. By Kiley Price for Inside Climate News…?
Events & Resources
Carbon Brief will host webinar breaking down the key outcomes of COP29 on Monday, November 25, at 3pm GMT (10am US Eastern Time).
The World Resources Institute ’s ‘COP29 Resource Hub ’ includes a run down of key issues at stake, events to help reporters make sense of the proceedings, and more.
Jobs, Etc.
The The Maine Monitor/Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting is seeking a contributor for its Climate Monitor newsletter. The World, by GBH and PRX, is hiring a radio producer to work on all aspects of the program’s climate reporting. The Houston Chronicle is hiring an energy reporter . The Connecticut Mirror is hiring an environment and energy reporter . The Associated Press is hiring an early-career oceans and climate reporter .
For Amazon journalists. The Earth Journalism Network is offering grants to increase coverage of environmental crimes and sustainable solutions in the Amazon. Applications are being accepted from journalists in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, with highest preference going to journalists living in the Amazon. Learn more and apply…