While President Joe Biden has long lectured Americans on their need to reduce carbon emissions, that duty apparently doesn't extend to members of his own family.
In a humiliating revelation, the Anchorage Daily News announced that First Lady Jill Biden will be meeting her husband in Japan rather than flying with him on Air Force One.
The Daily News noted that the president briefly touched down at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska on Wednesday before continuing on his way to the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima.
Accompanying the president aboard Air Force One were White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The first lady was also in Alaska with Interior Secretary Deb Haal where they celebrated the Infrastructure and Jobs Act with Alaska Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola in her hometown of Bethel.
The use of multiple planes seems to contradict the message that President Biden gave in January at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York City.
"If we don’t stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius, we’re going to have a real problem. It’s the single-most existential threat to humanity we’ve ever faced, including nuclear weapons. And so we have a real big problem," Fox News quoted Biden as telling listeners.
Those words drew a sharp rebuke from Florida Republican Rep. Michael Waltz, who told Fox News that China is "developing hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles that we can't defend against."
"And we have the commander in chief saying the climate is more dangerous than nuclear weapons, and the thing that's so serious that the Chinese listen to this," Waltz continued.
"They hear it, and they know that this administration and Biden will make concession after concession to the Chinese to achieve their climate goals," the congressman stressed.
"And the irony on top of it is that the Chinese are then dominating the global battery market, so they're making money off of it," Waltz went on to point out.
However, Biden went on to make similar remarks two months later during an interview with "The Daily Show" host Kal Penn, saying that those between the ages of 18 and 35 will be "damned" unless swift action on climate change is taken.
"Now we're in real trouble," Biden insisted. "That whole generation is damned. It's not hyperbole. Really, truly in trouble."
“That whole generation is damned. It’s not a hyperbole. Really, truly in trouble”: Pres. Biden made his first appearance of his term on @TheDailyShow, telling guest host @KalPenn that the younger generation has made space for him to take action on climate change. pic.twitter.com/4aUdGPHZPS
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) March 14, 2023