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Trump administration taps Matthew Wielicki to oversee National Climate Assessment

scienceJul 10, 2026271,503

Politico reported that the Trump administration has appointed Matthew M. Wielicki to oversee the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the next National Climate Assessment. Wielicki has publicly criticized the scientific consensus on global warming as alarmist. Posts calling out the appointment describe Wielicki as a former University of Alabama geochemist with no formal training in climate science and say he has promoted debunked claims, attacked climate scientists, and at times used large language models to produce fabricated sources. Critics warn that placing Wielicki in charge could jeopardize the integrity of the National Climate Assessment, a congressionally required, high‑profile federal report on how climate change affects the United States, and could turn the report into a vehicle for politically friendly disinformation. Commenters and analysts invoked the Information Quality Act and urged congressional or administrative checks on the program’s new leadership.

Katharine Hayhoe
@katharinehayhoe.com

It is not headed by a “climate critic“. It is headed by someone who is unqualified in this area, who cannot offer valid critiques but instead shares debunked claims, and who regularly attacks climate scientists. Like me.

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