President Trump’s State of the Union Misses the Mark

Dr. Andrew Steer, President & CEO of the World Resources Institute, critiques President Trump's first State of the Union address for failing to link extreme weather to climate change and for prioritizing fossil fuels over renewable energy markets.

• Dr. Andrew Steer asserts that President Trump's first State of the Union address failed to connect recent record-breaking extreme weather events to climate change. He argues that the administration has undermined environmental protections and prioritized fossil fuels while ignoring science, specifically citing the rollback of air pollution limits and the decision to leave the Paris Agreement.
• The statement claims the administration has ignored growing renewable energy markets in favor of outdated energy sources and is attempting to undercut auto emissions standards that previously drove innovation and reduced costs for drivers.
• While acknowledging that American infrastructure requires more investment, Steer emphasizes that such investment must include safeguards for natural resources and people. He notes that U.S. states, cities, businesses, and communities are independently pursuing clean energy and innovation.

APA

Steer, A. (2018). President Trump’s State of the Union Misses the Mark. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-president-trumps-state-union-misses-mark

Chicago

Steer, Andrew. President Trump’s State of the Union Misses the Mark. World Resources Institute, 2018. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-president-trumps-state-union-misses-mark.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Steer |first1=Andrew |title=President Trump’s State of the Union Misses the Mark |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=30 January 2018 |url=https://www.wri.org/news/statement-president-trumps-state-union-misses-mark |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{steer2018president, author = {Steer, Andrew}, title = {{President Trump’s State of the Union Misses the Mark}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://www.wri.org/news/statement-president-trumps-state-union-misses-mark}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }