His administration just released a major report. It details the massive impacts of the climate crisis. His response? “I don’t believe it.”

President Donald Trump was criticized on Monday for not believing his own administration’s recently released climate assessment.

“Seriously, the willful denial and confusion by Trump on climate change is a crime against humanity. Billions of people will suffer incredible harm for generations to come.  Much, much, much worse than possibly plotting to steal an election.” —Eric Holthaus

Trump was speaking to reporters outside the White House. He said he had seen the National Climate Assessment (NCA4). “He said he had read some of it, and it’s fine.” When asked about the report’s conclusions, Trump declared, “I don’t believe it.”

“We cannot have a leader who sticks his head in the sand while people suffer the consequences,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club.

“The climate assessment makes it clearer than ever that if we don’t act now, the catastrophic effects of climate change will negatively affect the United States and the world for those alive today, and for generations to come.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Twitter the comment made the president “an international embarrassment and incredibly dangerous”:

Meteorologist Eric Holthaus also said on social media, “the willful denial and confusion by Trump on climate change… a crime against humanity”:

Another lawmaker commenting on Trump’s denial was Rep. Pramila Jayapal:

Some observers were already outraged even before the 1,500-page report was released.  They said the timing of the release—the Friday following Thanksgiving—was a plan to limit news coverage of it.

Following its release, Brenda Ekwurzel, the director of climate science at the Union of Concerned Scientists said: 

“In light of the report’s findings, it’s critical that federal, state, and local governments take strong action to protect U.S. residents by both reducing emissions and helping communities adapt to the climate impacts that are now inevitable.”

“The findings certainly make a convincing case that the White House should stop reversing climate policies and recognize that a much larger scale response is required to keep people safe.”