As House Republicans barrel the government closer to a shutdown that would harm their very own constituents, their MAGA overlord Donald Trump is making his way to Michigan to make hollow appeals to union voters, who just had a real president join them on the picket line. But it’s pretty easy to see: The former president’s photo-op with striking workers is nothing more than a misleading campaign stunt. He’s a scab. Meanwhile, in California, the rag-tag team competing to be Trump’s runner-up prepares to take the debate stage in what is sure to be another greatest-hits compilation of climate denier talking points.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of an eventful evening in the GOP presidential primary:

Trump’s Record on Labor & Climate Is BS

In reality, Donald Trump’s record of backing union workers when push comes to shove, is, well, bullshit. Mr. Trump has promised to veto the union-strengthening PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, attacked workers’ rights to unionize and collectively bargain, appointed anti-union justices to lifetime seats on the Supreme Court bench, and rolled backprotections for workers’ overtime pay and on-the-job safety requirements. A self-proclaimed billionaire from the streets of Manhattan who has long done the bidding of the ultra-wealthy, Donald Trump doesn’t have the slightest clue what it’s like to be blue-collar in America. He is feigning concern for workers (at a non-union shop!) to mislead the public about his labor record for his own political gain.

On top of that, the former president has a long rap sheet of climate denial and disastrous environmental policy. From gutting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to claiming that the climate crisis is a hoax invented by China, Donald Trump is the quintessential climate supervillain. His failure to recognize the reality of the climate crisis as it happens around him and his avowed commitment to taking immediate action that would accelerate the crisis if reelected make him the last person on earth we should look to as we transition to a clean energy economy. And he is the last person folks in Michigan should look to for leadership on an issue at the nexus of labor and climate.

We are at a moment when climate justice and economic justice are inextricably linked. It’s mission-critical that we have a leader who understands that we must build a clean energy future, and that future must be built by well-paid, protected American union workers. Donald Trump understands neither. He has never been, and will never be, a champion for the working class and has proven himself incapable of leading us in a fight against the most existential threat of our time. 

Keeping Up With the Undercard

While ‘The Donald’ headlines his specious UAW vanity tour in Detroit, the B-team Republican presidential candidates will take the debate stage to vie for whatever attention is left after the former president takes the stage. Expect to hear a retread of the fossil fuel industry’s favorite climate and energy falsehoods parroted by seven people clinging to political relevance for dear life. Here’s what you need to know about their climate records: 
 

Ron Desantis

In Florida, a state repeatedly plagued by climate impacts, Governor Desantis has moved away from climate mitigation and even adaptation. He has rejected hundreds of millions of dollars in climate funding and said that we’re “safer than ever” from the effects of climate—even though the U.S. has experienced the worst year on record for climate disasters. 

Vivek Ramaswamy

Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy has called fossil fuels a requirement for “human flourishing” while uncoincidentally trying to make money off oil. And even though tagging the climate movement a “cult” may get him alt-right retweets and Big Oil bucks, it proves just how out of touch the GOP is with voters on both sides of the aisle demanding action on climate. 

Mike Pence

And then there’s the golden darling of the fossil-fuel industry, former Vice President Mike Pence. Dead set on doing the work of his oil and gas cronies, Pence’s campaign platform promises to abolish EPA, do away with critical funds for clean energy and transportation, and eliminate environmental justice protections for disadvantaged communities, all while exponentiating fossil fuel production. 

Nikki Haley

As former ambassador to the U.N. and Trump’s former lackey on the international stage, Nikki Haley led the effort to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. She, too, believes any climate action is a ploy that “plays into the hands of communist China.” Her solution? Not to decrease carbon, but to make things worse by ramping up oil and gas extraction. 

Chris Christie

Governor Christie goes so far as to actually acknowledge climate change but doesn’t appear to have much of a plan to do anything about it. When asked about climate at the last debate, he chose to not offer solutions, but his record speaks for itself: As Governor he weakened New Jersey’s clean energy goals, withdrew from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and refused to acknowledge the connection between the climate crisis and devastating extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy. 

Tim Scott

In his own words, Tim Scott’s plan for climate is to “bring jobs home from China,” but he has plans to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which is currently our best tool for onshoring manufacturing jobs. Scott has previously claimedthat it “is ridiculous to talk about a climate emergency,” and with his lifetime national environmental score of 6 percent from LCV, it’s clear that Senator Scott has no ability or interest to take on the crisis of our generation.

Doug Burgum

And lastly, the guy to barely make the debate stage, Doug Burgum. He’s still unsure how much fossil fuels are even contributing to climate change (spoiler alert: they’re the main drivers). As for his plans? Continued extraction while boasting North Dakota’s ‘powerhouse, ‘game-changing’ multi-billion dollar oil industry. Yikes.

It’s no surprise that the GOP continues to boast a climate (if you can even call it that?) platform that looks like it was written by a group of oil and gas executives—they’re bankrolled by them. But if Chevron shareholder Vivek Ramaswamy, “drill, baby, drill” Mike Pence, frontline state failure Ron Desantis, and anti-union Trump are the “best” the GOP has to offer, it’s clear that President Biden will be in a class of his own on climate in the general election. Voters looking for an adult in the room will have only one choice.

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