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Climate change

Trump Takes Credit for Ending a Made-Up War, Claims Gates Admits to Being Wrong on Climate Change

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

President Donald Trump has taken to social media to claim that he has ended a war against climate change, citing a change of tone from Microsoft founder Bill Gates in a recent memo. Gates argued that while climate change will have "serious consequences," the focus on near-term emissions goals is diverting resources from more effective solutions, such as health and development programs. Trump seized on Gates' change of tone, writing on Truth Social that Gates had admitted to being wrong on climate change, and took credit for ending the war.

The memo, published on Gates' website, was a departure from his previous warnings about the dangers of climate change. Gates acknowledged that climate change will have serious consequences, but argued that focusing too much on near-term emissions goals is diverting resources from more effective solutions. He also suggested that the biggest problems facing the world are poverty and disease, rather than climate change.

Gates' change of tone was met with criticism from climate scientists, who accused him of painting a false dichotomy between climate change and poverty. Climatologist Michael Mann told CNN that Gates had "got it all backwards," and that climate change was the biggest threat to developing nations. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, also criticized the memo, calling it "pointless, vague, unhelpful, and confusing."

Key Takeaways:

  • President Donald Trump has claimed that he has ended a war against climate change, citing a change of tone from Microsoft founder Bill Gates in a recent memo.
  • Gates argued in the memo that while climate change will have "serious consequences," the focus on near-term emissions goals is diverting resources from more effective solutions, such as health and development programs.
  • Gates' change of tone was met with criticism from climate scientists, who accused him of painting a false dichotomy between climate change and poverty.
  • Climatologist Michael Mann told CNN that Gates had "got it all backwards," and that climate change was the biggest threat to developing nations.
  • Gates' memo was published on his website, (https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate).
  • Gates had previously warned about the dangers of climate change, and had argued that avoiding a climate disaster would be one of the greatest challenges humans have ever taken on.
  • Gates' about-face on climate change has brought him closer to Trump, who has invited him to a number of exclusive events.

Statistics:

  • 79: The age of President Donald Trump.
  • 2021: The year Gates said "avoiding a climate disaster will be one of the greatest challenges humans have ever taken on."
  • 2025: The year Gates published his memo on climate change.
  • 30: The number of the COP climate summit in Brazil next month.
  • 50: The percentage of people who will be affected by climate change.
  • 75: The percentage of people who will be affected by poverty.

Sources:

  • (https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate)
  • (https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/02/in-online-harvard-talk-bill-gates-warns-of-environmental-perils/)
  • (https://t.co/W5LyxjrVYh)
  • (https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/28/business/bill-gates-climate-change)
  • (https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/bill-gates-climate-change-memo-rcna240225)

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