The so-called First Daughter of the United States came under fire after she retweeted a message from the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The message read: “2018 was an incredible year for science and tech! Today the OSTP released the Trump Administration’s 2018 S&T Highlights report, describing government-wide achievements in science, technology, and American R&D.”
A second tweet in the same thread said: “For the past two years, the Trump Administration has been an active and meaningful driver for science and technology policy in America.”
But shortly after Ivanka retweeted the post, Twitter users were quick to lambast her apparent endorsement.
Expressing disbelief, one user penned: “Oh wait, You’re serious?”
Another said: “The ocean is rising to meet this ridiculous claim.”
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Meanwhile someone else wrote: “Is it April Fool’s Day already?”
Confused, another user said: “I’m not so sure that denying climate change and randomly repeating the words ‘space force’ qualify as advancements in science and technology.”
Ivanka’s father, Donald Trump, has reportedly been dismissive of the role of science in his administration (and the dangers posed by man-made climate change) since becoming president two years ago, according to the New York Times.
Last June, the paper reported: “The lack of traditional scientific advisory leadership in the White House is one example of a significant change in the Trump administration: the marginalisation of science in shaping United States policy.”
And Princeton University professor Michael Oppenheimer told the paper: “I don’t think there’s ever been a time in the post-World War II period where issues as important as nuclear weapons are on the table, and there is no serious scientist there to help the president through the thicket.
“This reverberates throughout policy.”
Trump, who has previously labelled climate change a “hoax”, notably pulled out of the historic Paris climate change accord in June 2017, calling it “very unfair to the US”.
The firebrand Republican’s decision to reject the agreement came despite the US being one of the world’s largest polluters.
Environmentalist former Vice-President Al Gore has also accused the Trump Administration of trying to bury a troubling report on climate change.
He said: “The President may try to hide the truth, but his own scientists and experts have made it as stark and clear as possible.”