Jon Karl Grills Pompeo on Climate Change: ‘What Are You Doing Specifically to Address This Threat or Do You Not Take It Particularly Seriously?’

RUSH EXCERPT:

KARL: “Because the Washington Post reported the State Department tried to strip any reference to climate change from the statement for the Arctic Policy ahead of the summit you’re going to be attending this week.

What are you doing specifically to address this threat or do you not take it particularly serious?”

POMPEO: “Jonathan, this – this administration takes keeping America safe, keeping our drinking water pure, keeping our air clean very, very seriously. What the debate is about in this document you’re referring to is about the Paris Climate Agreement.

We don’t think that that has any help of being successful. We’ve seen it, we’ve seen America reduce its carbon footprint while the signatories, including China, haven’t done theirs.

To sign a piece of paper, Jonathan, is interesting and fun and you get to cut a piece of ribbon and have a big photo op. But at the end of the day the world’s no safer. This administration is focused on doing the things that will allow our economy to grow and you know this, countries with high per capita GDP always have cleaner air, safer drinking water.

It’s a virtual certainty that health has improved for citizens around the world as economies grow. We’re determined to do that, we hope other countries will follow our lead and they too can have historic 50 year lows in their unemployment as well.

These are the things that will keep Americans safe, it’s what President Trump is focused on.”