Every second of this video is spectacular pic.twitter.com/Bp9aseyqvw
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 24, 2024
By DOMINIC YEATMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
- House Democrats presented the young skier as an ‘expert witness’ as the Budget Committee considered the effect of climate change on the recreation industry
- But Schumacher, 23, struggled in a series of excruciating exchanges, claiming that the 0.04 percent of CO2 in the atmosphere was a ‘huge part’
- He also refused to explain his calls to abolish the police and claims that the war on drugs was designed to jail black people
Senate Democrats were left red-faced at a hearing on climate change as their ‘expert witness’ proved to be anything but when faced by veteran senator John Kennedy.
Budget Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse invited Olympic skier Gus Schumacher to give his perspective as the committee considered the impact of climate change on the recreation industry.
But it was all downhill for the 23-year-old as he struggled to answer basic questions and could not remember his tweets claiming the war on drugs was designed to jail black people, and calling for the police to be abolished.
The excruciating exchange continued with Schumacher insisting carbon dioxide is a ‘huge part of our atmosphere’, before Kennedy pointed out that it accounts for 0.04 percent.
‘Well, okay. But, yeah. I don’t know,’ the skier admitted.
Introducing the hearing, Senator Whitehouse praised the quality of the ‘highly credible witnesses’ the committee had heard from.
‘We have heard warnings from economists, scientists, medical professionals, insurance and investment executives, even a former Republican Senate Majority Leader. They warn of danger ahead.’
But there was danger ahead for Schumacher as he tried to fend off Kennedy’s interrogation which began with a question about what carbon dioxide is.
‘I went to high school, but carbon dioxide is a gas,’ the skier told him
‘I’m not a professional to talk about carbon dioxide so much.
But Kennedy demanded an explanation about the gas’s role in climate change.
‘Carbon dioxide is, what I see it as, you know, a gas that exists in our atmosphere,’ Schumacher explained.
‘Is it a major part of our atmosphere?’ Kennedy asked innocently.
‘It’s a huge part of our atmosphere,’ the skier insisted.
‘It’s a very small part of our atmosphere,’ the Senator pointed out.
‘Well, okay. But, yeah. I don’t know. What are you asking specifically?’ Schumacher replied.
