Donald Trump Leads This List of The Biggest Climate Crisis Deniers

Climate deniers come in several forms, but among the most insidious are oil companies that allegedly knew about the effects of fossil fuels for decades and actively covered them up. This deception may now cost them. According to The Guardian, nearly two dozen lawsuits are underpinned by accusations that the industry severely aggravated the environmental crisis with a decades-long campaign of lies and deceit, suppressing warnings from their own scientists about the impact of fossil fuels on the climate and duping the American public.

Most climate deniers don’t create such elaborate schemes. Among the most common—and preventable—claims is that climate change is simply a natural cycle: it was very hot a thousand years ago, got colder 500 years ago, and is now getting hot again. A century from now, they argue, it will be cold again.

As the oil companies demonstrate, climate deniers often have a profit motive. This has been true of the fossil fuel industry for decades, and denialism itself has become big business. According to ASA, “To do this successfully, industry actors coordinate public relations campaigns and prop up their own set of experts to deny their industries have contributed to harming public health.”

To deny climate change is to deny that tens of thousands of people die from air pollution created by large companies. There are environmental reasons to own an EV—it helps lower human-made pollution. There are health reasons to keep rivers clean. Climate is, and will continue to be, a human health issue. The figures are too significant to ignore. According to the World Bank, “1.2 billion people face life-changing risks through exposure to at least one critical climate hazard, such as heatwaves, flooding, hurricanes, and drought.” Yet some people dismiss this figure as fake.

The leading climate deniers in America reject the widely held scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. They often claim its effects don’t exist, and some deliberately spread misinformation. The most prominent among them are politicians, business leaders, and media personalities. Based on recent analyses as of early 2026, Climatecrisis247 identified these figures from widely regarded sources including the Center for American Progress, Yale Climate Connections,  DeSmog, and Utopia.org.

Politicians

Donald Trump, Current President

• Called climate change the “greatest con job ever” in a 2025 UN speech
• Repeatedly mocked it as a hoax
• His administration dismantled environmental regulations

JD Vance, Vice President

• Expressed uncertainty about human influence on climate change

Chris Wright, DOE Secretary

• Released a 2025 DOE report that was criticized by over 85 scientists for errors
• States there’s “no climate crisis“

Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader (R-LA)

• Denied human-caused climate change
• Attributes weather events to “Mother Nature”

Ron Johnson, Senator (R-WI)

• Claims climate change is natural
• Promotes “doomism” by questioning the effectiveness of climate action

Media Figures

These individuals have large audiences and spread denial through podcasts, shows, and social media, reaching millions.

Joe Rogan, Podcaster (The Joe Rogan Experience)

• Hosted guests like Bjørn Lomborg who misrepresent climate science
• Produces content that questions the viability of climate solutions

Jordan Peterson, Podcaster/Author

• Calls climate concern a “pseudo-religion“
• Has made climate denial claims on his channel since 2020

Rupert Murdoch, Media Mogul (News Corp, Fox News)

• Oversees outlets where over 80% of climate coverage includes denial
• Spreads misinformation through his media empire

Business Leaders

These executives fund denial efforts or lead companies that resist emissions cuts.

Charles Koch, CEO of Koch Industries

• Has funded climate denial groups
• Lobbies extensively for fossil fuels
• Major donor to think tanks promoting denial

Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil

• Leads a company known for having early climate knowledge but running denial campaigns
• Oversaw emissions increases

Mike Wirth, CEO of Chevron

• Promotes greenwashing
• Board member of API (American Petroleum Institute), which spreads denial

Scientists and Skeptics

A smaller group of scientists is often cited in denial reports and policy discussions.

John Christy, Climate Scientist

• Co-authored the 2025 DOE report downplaying the climate crisis
• Denies the urgency of climate action

Roy Spencer, Climate Scientist

• Co-authored the same DOE report
• Long-time denier of human impacts on climate

Judith Curry, Climate Scientist

• Downplays the climate crisis
• Has contributed to denial-linked reports

While approximately 15% of Americans deny climate change outright, these prominent figures amplify denial through their power and platforms. Several organizations are also heavily involved in spreading climate denial, including the Heartland Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the American Petroleum Institute (API).