Donald Trump calls Rishi Sunak ‘smart’ for easing climate targets – POLITICO

LONDON — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s easing of green policies has won the backing of Donald Trump.

In a post on his Truth Social media account late Saturday, the former U.S. president congratulated Sunak for announcing last week that he is paring back his green pledges.

Sunak has confirmed a major roll-back of several key U.K. green policies, including easing the transition to electric vehicles and shifting a date for a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 until 2035. He also promised there would be more time to transition to heat pumps.

“I always knew Sunak was smart, that he wasn’t going to destroy and bankrupt his nation for fake climate alarmists that don’t have a clue,” Trump wrote.

Trump, who is leading the polls in the contest for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination, said the U.S. “keeps rolling merrily along, spending Trillions of Dollars trying to do that which is not doable, while at the same time breathing in the filthy and totally untreated air floating over our once great Country from China, India, Russia, and Parts Unknown.”

Sunak argued last week that continuing with the current climate policies risked “losing the consent of the British people — and the resulting backlash will not just be against specific policies, but against the wider mission itself, meaning we might never achieve our goal.” But Sunak insists he is still committed to reaching net zero by 2050.

Trump added: “Congratulations to Prime Minister Sunak for recognizing this SCAM before it was too late!”