美國國家氣象局2017年12月28日表示，美國中部和東部地區因受到氣溫急降和強風，造成危險的風寒效應陷入急凍狀態。川普卻輕視氣候變遷科學，正在佛羅里達州海湖俱樂部（Mar-a-Lago）渡假的川普卻在推特寫道：「在東岸恐會經歷有史以來最冷的跨年夜。或許我們可以來點老調全球暖化加持，畢竟我們國家而不是其他國家，要為此付出數兆美元。快穿暖一點！(In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!)」為他讓美國退出《巴黎協定》的爭議性舉動辯護。
川普利用寒冷的天氣嘲諷氣候變遷背後的科學根據，隨即引發眾怒。華盛頓州聯邦眾議員傑亞帕爾（Pramila Jayapal）推文說：「天氣和氣候不一樣…總統應該要懂才對，這不難。」；加州科學館主任佛里（Jon Foley）寫道：「信不信由你，全球氣候變遷是真的存在的，縱使川普大樓外頭現在很冷。」華盛頓郵報「首都氣象群（Capital Weather Gang）」寫道：「美國下周料將成為世上最冷地區。請注意，世上其他地方氣溫仍比正常高，免得有人拿美國低溫來說全球暖化是假的(U.S.to be coldest region in world relative to normal over next week. Please note rest of world will be much warmer than normal lest anyone try to claim pocket of cold in U.S. debunks global warming, which they will invariably and irresponsibly do. U.S. to be coldest region in world relative to normal over next week. Please note rest of world will be much warmer than normal lest anyone try to claim pocket of cold in U.S. debunks global warming, which they will invariably and irresponsibly do. U.S. to be coldest region in world relative to normal over next week. Please note rest of world will be much warmer than normal lest anyone try to claim pocket of cold in U.S. debunks global warming, which they will invariably and irresponsibly do. U.S. to be coldest region in world relative to normal over next week. Please note rest of world will be much warmer than normal lest anyone try to claim pocket of cold in U.S. debunks global warming, which they will invariably and irresponsibly do.U.S. to be coldest region in world relative to normal over next week. Please note rest of world will be much warmer than normal lest anyone try to claim pocket of cold in U.S. debunks global warming, which they will invariably and irresponsibly do.)。」川普認為氣候變遷是場「騙局」，但2017年美國飽受極端氣候摧殘，南部德州經歷50年來最強颶風「哈維」肆虐，東南邊的佛羅里達州也遭受80年來最強颶風「艾瑪」侵襲；氣候乾燥閃電所引發的野火則蔓延美國西部及西北地區，包括加州、科羅拉多、愛達荷、蒙大拿、內華達、奧勒岡、猶他、華盛頓及懷俄明9個州都遭受野火肆虐。
