President-elect Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump met today with former Vice President Al Gore at Trump Tower to discuss climate change. Trump’s transition team had initially announced that only Ivanka would be meeting with the former VP, but after the meeting Gore disclosed he had also met with the President-elect.
Climate Denier Vs. Climate Advocate
This meeting seems somewhat strange, as Trump has been a prominent voice of the climate change denial movement. Gore, on the other hand, is one of the most renowned climate changed advocates, receiving a Nobel Prize in 2007 for his work. He also warned that Trump would cause a “climate catastrophe” if he were elected.
After the meeting, Gore said:
“I found it an extremely interesting conversation, and to be continued, and I’m just going to leave it at that.”
Ivanka Extends An Olive Branch
While it’s surprising that Donald Trump would make the time to meet with Gore to discuss climate change, it was less of a shock when it was originally announced that only Ivanka would be at the meeting. Politico reports that she has been making climate change one of her “signature issues” in order to be:
“…A bridge to moderates and liberals disgusted and depressed with the tone and tenor of the new leader of the free world.”
Ivanka having a steady voice within the Trump administration might be one of the few glimmers of hope for liberals devastated by the election results. Along with climate change, she has also advocated for pay equity and parental leave, both issues which conservatives rarely support.
However, given her position in the international real estate and branding aspects of the Trump Organization, conflicts of interest may arise if she has any say in policy-making. That remains to be seen, but for now she seems to be one of the few voices of reason within the administration.
Watch the video below for more information on their meeting:
Featured image credit: Campus Symposium GmbH via Wikimedia Commons/CC-2.0
