Chris
Wright

Claim to fame: CEO of fracking company Liberty Energy.

You should know: Oil executive Chris Wright is a climate denier who has been an outspoken critic of government efforts to address the climate crisis.

His take on climate: “There is no climate crisis… We have seen no increase in the frequency or intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts or floods despite endless fear mongering of the media, politicians and activists.” (Video posted to LinkedIn)

The fine print: Chris Wright’s stance on the climate crisis is nothing short of alarming. The fracking oil CEO has categorically rejected that there is a climate crisis and the underlying science, calling the phrase “carbon pollution” “outrageous,” and claiming there is no such thing as “clean energy” or “dirty energy.”

Wright has been outspoken in criticizing government efforts to advance clean energy and address the climate crisis. He was also a major donor to the Trump campaign, donating almost $229,000 to the Trump 47 Committee and over $41,000 to the Republican National Committee. Wright has no previous government experience.

Our take: “It is not surprising, but still appalling that Trump’s pick for Secretary of Energy is a climate-denying Big Oil executive. With the nomination of Chris Wright, Trump is following through on the $1 billion offer he made to Big Oil at a dinner this spring. With no experience in government, Wright will be primed to continue Trump’s and Project 2025’s extreme agenda of prioritizing Big Polluters over our families, communities, consumers, and the environment. But the clean energy economy is here to stay, and we are all in to defend both bedrock environmental laws and the recent climate progress that is creating jobs and lowering energy costs for families across the country.” – LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld, Nov. 16