Former US President Donald Trump recently stated at a public gathering that the Earth is undergoing a cooling phase, sparking renewed debate over his views on climate. These comments, which he has voiced intermittently throughout his time in office, contrast sharply with data from global monitoring organizations.
Scientists emphasize that global temperatures are rising steadily and at an increasing rate. They caution against drawing broad conclusions from brief, localized weather events.
Trump’s latest remarks challenge findings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, March 2026 saw a global average surface temperature of 2.36 degrees Fahrenheit (1.31 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average, making it tied with March 2024 as the second-hottest March on record since 1850.
NOAA data further reveals that the 10 warmest March temperature deviations from the average have all occurred in the last decade, underscoring a clear pattern of escalating global heat that refutes notions of cooling.
Supporting this, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported a global surface air temperature anomaly of 1.48 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline for March 2026. C3S also noted that sea surface temperatures that month were the second-highest ever recorded, indicating rising ocean heat content.
Various independent research groups stress the importance of distinguishing between short-term weather variations and long-term climate shifts to accurately assess temperature changes.
Trump has frequently used social media and interviews to question the scientific agreement on climate change, often linking it to isolated cold weather incidents. While no major events in March 2026 were directly linked to his statements, his administration has consistently promoted skepticism toward climate reports into early 2026.
Scientific bodies respond by noting that temporary cold periods do not undermine the established trend of higher global average temperatures driven by increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases.
