President Donald Trump attends a United Nations event on Religious Freedom at U.N. Headquarters in New York, September 23, 2019, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Sep 23, 2019
President Donald Trump on Monday affirmed his stance as a climate villain by leading a United Nations session on "religious freedom" instead of a major event focused on the global climate crisis in the same building.
The president's move drew scorn on Twitter:
\u201cTrump is skipping the UN\u2019s Climate Change Summit to host a panel on \u201creligious persecution.\u201d Those who believe the natural world is God\u2019s gift might wonder at his collusion with those who destroy it. Does this incandescent ego believe \u201cBetter to reign in Hell\u201d?\u201d— csdickey (@csdickey) 1569224124
\u201cInstead of attending discussions on a climate crisis he doesn't believe in, the president who paid hush money to a porn star he had an affair with while his third wife nursed his fifth child will hold a session on....religious persecution https://t.co/PW6YkZj3SR\u201d— Robert Maguire (@Robert Maguire) 1569198497
\u201cThere's a lot of talk about President Trump's support for religious freedom at this United Nations event, and no acknowledgement that he once proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States.\u201d— Chris Megerian (@Chris Megerian) 1569253614
Trump's session overlaps with the day-long U.N. Climate Action Summit. Trump's special session began at 11:30 am, shortly after Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg gave a powerful speech at the summit demanding world leaders take swift action to tackle the climate crisis.
Trump's event, a senior administration official said Friday, "seeks to highlight and broaden international support for protecting religious freedom in the wake of increasing persecution of people on the basis of their own beliefs and faiths, and a growing number of attacks on and destruction of houses of worship, religious sites, and relics by state and nonstate actors." The president did, however, pop in to the climate event. "President Donald Trump was not scheduled to attend," ABC Newsreported, "but showed up unexpectedly Monday morning."
But David Waskow, director of the International Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute, said Trump's event hightlight something different.
"It's most importantly a snub to the young people pleading for action on climate change," Waskow toldThe Guardian. "Donald Trump has made very clear internationally and domestically he has no interest in the science or this issue. It's up to the rest of the world to get on with its business."
The Trump adminstration has also been accused of using the banner of "religious freedom" to carry out discriminatory attacks on healthcare, children's right to loving homes, and educational options for all students.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
President Donald Trump on Monday affirmed his stance as a climate villain by leading a United Nations session on "religious freedom" instead of a major event focused on the global climate crisis in the same building.
The president's move drew scorn on Twitter:
\u201cTrump is skipping the UN\u2019s Climate Change Summit to host a panel on \u201creligious persecution.\u201d Those who believe the natural world is God\u2019s gift might wonder at his collusion with those who destroy it. Does this incandescent ego believe \u201cBetter to reign in Hell\u201d?\u201d— csdickey (@csdickey) 1569224124
\u201cInstead of attending discussions on a climate crisis he doesn't believe in, the president who paid hush money to a porn star he had an affair with while his third wife nursed his fifth child will hold a session on....religious persecution https://t.co/PW6YkZj3SR\u201d— Robert Maguire (@Robert Maguire) 1569198497
\u201cThere's a lot of talk about President Trump's support for religious freedom at this United Nations event, and no acknowledgement that he once proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States.\u201d— Chris Megerian (@Chris Megerian) 1569253614
Trump's session overlaps with the day-long U.N. Climate Action Summit. Trump's special session began at 11:30 am, shortly after Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg gave a powerful speech at the summit demanding world leaders take swift action to tackle the climate crisis.
Trump's event, a senior administration official said Friday, "seeks to highlight and broaden international support for protecting religious freedom in the wake of increasing persecution of people on the basis of their own beliefs and faiths, and a growing number of attacks on and destruction of houses of worship, religious sites, and relics by state and nonstate actors." The president did, however, pop in to the climate event. "President Donald Trump was not scheduled to attend," ABC Newsreported, "but showed up unexpectedly Monday morning."
But David Waskow, director of the International Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute, said Trump's event hightlight something different.
"It's most importantly a snub to the young people pleading for action on climate change," Waskow toldThe Guardian. "Donald Trump has made very clear internationally and domestically he has no interest in the science or this issue. It's up to the rest of the world to get on with its business."
The Trump adminstration has also been accused of using the banner of "religious freedom" to carry out discriminatory attacks on healthcare, children's right to loving homes, and educational options for all students.
President Donald Trump on Monday affirmed his stance as a climate villain by leading a United Nations session on "religious freedom" instead of a major event focused on the global climate crisis in the same building.
The president's move drew scorn on Twitter:
\u201cTrump is skipping the UN\u2019s Climate Change Summit to host a panel on \u201creligious persecution.\u201d Those who believe the natural world is God\u2019s gift might wonder at his collusion with those who destroy it. Does this incandescent ego believe \u201cBetter to reign in Hell\u201d?\u201d— csdickey (@csdickey) 1569224124
\u201cInstead of attending discussions on a climate crisis he doesn't believe in, the president who paid hush money to a porn star he had an affair with while his third wife nursed his fifth child will hold a session on....religious persecution https://t.co/PW6YkZj3SR\u201d— Robert Maguire (@Robert Maguire) 1569198497
\u201cThere's a lot of talk about President Trump's support for religious freedom at this United Nations event, and no acknowledgement that he once proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States.\u201d— Chris Megerian (@Chris Megerian) 1569253614
Trump's session overlaps with the day-long U.N. Climate Action Summit. Trump's special session began at 11:30 am, shortly after Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg gave a powerful speech at the summit demanding world leaders take swift action to tackle the climate crisis.
Trump's event, a senior administration official said Friday, "seeks to highlight and broaden international support for protecting religious freedom in the wake of increasing persecution of people on the basis of their own beliefs and faiths, and a growing number of attacks on and destruction of houses of worship, religious sites, and relics by state and nonstate actors." The president did, however, pop in to the climate event. "President Donald Trump was not scheduled to attend," ABC Newsreported, "but showed up unexpectedly Monday morning."
But David Waskow, director of the International Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute, said Trump's event hightlight something different.
"It's most importantly a snub to the young people pleading for action on climate change," Waskow toldThe Guardian. "Donald Trump has made very clear internationally and domestically he has no interest in the science or this issue. It's up to the rest of the world to get on with its business."
The Trump adminstration has also been accused of using the banner of "religious freedom" to carry out discriminatory attacks on healthcare, children's right to loving homes, and educational options for all students.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.