Trump Lashes Out: 'I Know Windmills Very Much'

President goes off on wind turbines once more
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 23, 2019 12:09 PM CST

Nancy Pelosi isn't President Trump's only nemesis at the moment. He's also no fan of windmills. His disdain has been known for some time, and he returned to the subject Saturday night. While speaking to the conservative student group Turning Point USA, Trump took a swing at wind turbines and their carbon footprint, and what he said started racking up the headlines on Monday, particularly the following quote. From Mediaite:

  • "I never understood wind. I know windmills very much, I have studied it better than anybody. I know it is very expensive. They are made in China and Germany mostly, very few made here, almost none, but they are manufactured, tremendous—if you are into this—tremendous fumes and gases are spewing into the atmosphere. You know we have a world, right? So the world is tiny compared to the universe. So tremendous, tremendous amount of fumes and everything. You talk about the carbon footprint, fumes are spewing into the air, right spewing, whether it is China or Germany, is going into the air."

He also hit on turbines' impacts on birds, particularly bald eagles. "You know, in California, they were killing the bald eagle. If you shoot a bald eagle, they want to put you in jail for 10 years. A windmill will kill many bald eagles. It's true. And you know what? After a certain number, they make you turn the windmill off. That's true, by the way. ... And yet, if you killed one they put you in jail. That's OK." Trump is correct about the turbine-bird death connection—up to 364,000 birds lose their lives this way annually, per Mother Jones. The Washington Post calls it "a weird complaint coming from Trump, though, since far more birds are killed by glass-covered buildings and skyscrapers like the ones he brags about building." CNN reports the Obama administration raised the limit on the number of bald eagles that can he harmed or killed by wind turbines before penalties kick in. (More President Trump stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X