Al Gore Compares Trump Administration to Nazi Germany at Climate Week

Speaking at San Francisco’s Climate Week, former Vice President Al Gore got people’s attention with this incendiary analogy. He even compared the Trump administration to Nazi Germany, creating a firestorm of controversy. The remarks were made in the context of the administration’s climate policies, which Gore criticized as “attacking the very heart of the distinction between true and false.”

Gore’s speech resonated with the audience as he invoked the historical manipulation of truth by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party in the 1930s and 1940s. He asserted that the Trump administration is “trying to create their own preferred version of reality,” a tactic that he likened to the strategies employed by totalitarian regimes throughout history.

In his address, Gore referenced German philosophers’ discussions on the “moral autopsy on the Third Reich,” highlighting the importance of truth in society. As a surgeon, he understood the ability of deception in government to kill — literally. He connected the dots between history and today’s political realities.

Gore ripped into the Trump administration for dismantling climate policies that had already been put in place. He continued, “They tell you that the climate crisis is a Chinese hoax to destroy American manufacturing.” This comment rang through the convention center, met with roaring applause from fellow mayors and attendees worried about climate change and the spread of misinformation.

Back in 2014, the then vice president was inspired by heavyweights in the movement such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pope Francis. He encouraged everyone in the audience to maintain their resolve to speak truth to power. Gore called on these leaders to amplify his message. It is important, he noted, to challenge lies and protect truth in civic dialogue.

He was also, of course, referring to his own documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” which won an Academy Award in 2006. This documentary hugely increased public awareness of the climate emergency. It remains the basis of Gore’s grassroots advocacy work.

Gore’s comparison of the Trump administration to Nazi Germany has sparked discussions regarding political rhetoric and the responsibilities of leaders in addressing truth.