Forestry Service firefighters
Donald Trump does so many awful things: wars, inflationary taxes (tariffs), and disease promotion, that many of his actions do not draw nearly the contempt and ridicule they deserve. His complaints about the smoke from Canadian wildfires fits into that category.
Just in case anyone didn’t know, Canada’s wildfires are largely about global warming. Hotter and drier weather has made it virtually inevitable that large chunks of Canada’s remote forests would burn each summer.
And no person on the planet has done more to promote global warming than Donald Trump. He has actively sought to promote fossil fuel use at every opportunity and done everything in his power to block clean energy, electric vehicles, and conservation efforts. He also has not restricted his efforts on behalf of global warming to the domestic front. Trump has also pushed foreign governments to develop and use fossil fuels and steer away from clean energy and electric vehicles.
This is why every sentient being could not help laughing when Donald Trump threatened to impose import taxes (tariffs) on goods from Canada because smoke from their forest fires was entering the United States. The absurdity of this threat would be beyond belief to anyone who had not been following Trump’s career in politics over the last decade.
In the realm of absurdity, it is also worth reminding everyone that it is overwhelmingly U.S. consumers who pay Trump’s tariffs. This means that Trump was effectively threatening U.S. consumers with higher taxes because his actions led to forest fires in Canada, which were causing air pollution in the United States. What a fantastic description of MAGA!
On the domestic side we have our own massive wildfires. Not only has Trump contributed to them with his promotion of global warming, his DOGE cuts also eliminated thousands of jobs for experienced firefighters. Also, by stationing thousands of National Guard troops in clown show displays in Washington, DC and other major cities, he has pulled away people who could otherwise be assisting in fighting his wildfires.
I will end on a positive note. Trump and Netanyahu’s war with Iran has jumpstarted the green transition in a way that no environmentally minded Democratic president ever could have hoped. China’s exports of EVs doubled from June 2025 to June 2026. And countries like Pakistan and the Philippines are adding solar panels faster than anyone could have imagined.
Donald Trump might continue to mutter about the “green scam” in his demented rants, but the world is quickly moving away from fossil fuels. The key question is the extent to which it can avoid the damage caused by Trump and his oil industry buddies.
Dean Baker is a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the author of the 2016 book Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Please consider subscribing to his Substack.
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- Republicans Scheming To Hold California Wildfire Relief Hostage ›
- How Trump And Musk Have Increased The Risk Of Catastrophic Wildfires ›
- Trump’s wildfire claims collide with Canada’s fire reality - E&E News by POLITICO ›
- Trump rips Canada as wildfire smoke spreads, says U.S. will add pollution cost to tariffs ›
- Here’s What Trump’s Really Up to With His Response to L.A. Fires - Earthjustice ›
- Trump blames Canada for wildfires, but scientists point to climate change ›
- Scientists decry Trump’s ‘blame game’ after he claims Canada ‘poisoning’ US air | Donald Trump | The Guardian ›
- Trump threatens Canada over wildfire smoke choking U.S. cities - POLITICO ›
- Trump administration launches US Wildland Fire Service amid worsening wildfires | AP News ›
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