BY DEVIN HENRY
President Trump’s views on the Paris climate deal “absolutely are evolving” after he heard other world leaders’ opinions on climate change during a Group of Seven (G7) meeting on Friday, the White House said.
Trump and other G7 leaders discussed the environment and Paris climate agreement for about 20 minutes during a meeting in Italy on Friday.
Gary Cohn, Trump’s National Economic Council director, said the president “listened very acutely and attentively to the other leaders in the room” but repeated his campaign promise to focus on job creation over everything else, including climate concerns.
Cohn added, “His basis for decision ultimately is going to be what’s best for the United States.”
Trump did not say when he would make a decision on the United States’ involvement in the Paris climate deal, an international pact designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Officials are still writing the official G7 pronouncement on climate change, and Cohn said he couldn’t preview what that might look like.
“He said, ‘This is something where I want to get to the right decision, so I’d rather take my time, I’d rather understand the issues and I’d rather get to the right decision on that,’ ” Cohn said of Trump.
