President Joe Biden attacked former President Donald Trump and Republicans on Tuesday for allegedly denying climate change even in the face of extreme heat waves across much of the country.
Biden made the remarks while delivering a speech in Washington, D.C., regarding the record-breaking heat wave. The president announced a new proposed federal rule that would extend workplace heat protections to an estimated 36 million workers.
The president accused Trump and “the MAGA Republicans in Congress” of denying that “climate change even exists.”
“They must be living in a hole somewhere, at the expense of the health and safety of their own constituents,” Biden continued during his second White House appearance since the first 2024 debate against Trump. “Quite frankly, I think it’s not only outrageous, it’s really stupid. Everyone who willfully denies the impacts of climate change is condemning the American people to a dangerous future and is either really, really dumb or has some other motive. How can you deny there’s climate change, for God’s sake?”
The president’s proposed rule, if finalized, would affect farmworkers, construction workers, landscapers, warehouse workers, and kitchen staff, marking the first federal rule of its kind.
Employers would be compelled to not only identify extreme heat but also develop emergency response and relief plans for workers suffering from heat-related illnesses.
You can watch Biden’s remarks in full below.