The White House under Donald Trump mocked Senator Sheldon Whitehouse after he complained that the administration refused to support his trip to the COP30 climate conference in Brazil.
The Trump team said he fell for what they call the Green New Scam. They said he could go on his own but they would not spend taxpayer money on it.
Senator Whitehouse held a press event in Washington. He showed his conference badge. It did not say United States of America. It only named a group called GLOBE. He said he had to travel with help from a small House coalition because the State Department would not assist him. He said this had never happened before. He said the United States looked absent on the world stage.
He said this was proof that the Trump administration no longer supports normal protocol for congressional travel. He also said the refusal showed how far the administration had pulled back from climate action.
Whitehouse argued that Trump skipped the conference because he does not speak for the country on climate. He claimed Trump mainly represents wealthy fossil fuel donors.
He also pushed for carbon pricing. He said the world cannot meet its climate goals without it.
He spoke to European attendees and urged them to stay firm if Trump criticizes their climate plans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries agreed with him. Jeffries said the United States gave up global leadership by not attending the conference. He said this leaves room for China to influence the issue.
Not everyone supported Whitehouse.
Daniel Turner, who leads an energy group in Virginia, said the senator was making a big deal out of nothing. He said Whitehouse went on a tropical trip while the country faced a government shutdown. He also accused him of praising China. Turner said the Chinese use forced labor for some of their energy products and claimed Whitehouse is out of touch.
The article also recalled an old story where Whitehouse faced criticism over his family’s membership in a private club. He said at the time that the club was still working on fixing its issues.
Whitehouse defended his decision to attend COP30. He said Republicans are raising costs for American families while helping fossil fuel donors. He said the Trump administration does not want to defend its climate stance on a global platform. He said he will use his time in Brazil to push partners to stay strong on climate rules like CBAM. He believes climate action will fail without them.
The State Department did not comment on the situation.