Everything’s an F’n Emergency Except the Actual Emergency
Trump has declared nine national emergencies since January 2025. Border crisis. Energy crisis. Trade deficit crisis. Tariff emergencies on Mexico, Canada, China. Coal plant emergencies. Cybersecurity emergency. Sanctions emergencies.
None of them are actual emergencies.
The border? Immigration has been an issue for decades. The energy supply? There’s no fuel shortage. The trade deficit? We’ve been running one since the 1970s. Coal plants shutting down? The grid operators confirm there’s no blackout risk.
But Trump declares them emergencies anyway because it gives him power. Emergency declarations unlock special authorities. Bypass Congress. Redirect funds. Ignore environmental laws. Impose tariffs without legislative approval.
Legal experts at the Brennan Center identified 150 special powers a president can access by declaring a national emergency. Most don’t require congressional approval. Trump’s using emergency powers to implement his domestic agenda without Congress—which is exactly what emergency powers weren’t designed for.
Meanwhile, there’s an actual emergency killing Americans and costing billions. Climate change. And Trump won’t declare that an emergency because it would require upfront investment.
2025 saw 23 billion-dollar climate disasters in the U.S. They cost $115 billion. They killed 276 people. It was the third-highest year on record for disasters—after 2023 and 2024. We’re averaging one billion-dollar climate disaster every ten days now.
Since 1980, America has endured 426 climate disasters costing over $3.1 trillion. Globally, climate disasters cost $2.3 trillion annually when you include indirect costs like health impacts, ecosystem damage, and supply chain disruptions.
The LA wildfires alone cost $61 billion—the most expensive wildfire in history. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, heat waves. They’re getting more frequent and more intense. The science is clear. The costs are mounting.
But Trump won’t declare a climate emergency. Why? Because responding to climate change requires investment. Installing renewable energy infrastructure. Building resilient systems. Transitioning away from fossil fuels. That costs money upfront even though it saves far more in the long run.
Trump would rather declare fake emergencies that actively cost you money. Forcing coal plants to stay open will cost ratepayers $3 to $6 billion per year according to independent analysis. That’s money straight out of your pocket to keep broken, polluting plants running when they’re not even needed.
His tariff emergencies are costing you too. Higher prices on everything. His border emergency diverted military construction funds. His energy emergency props up fossil fuels while blocking clean energy.
The pattern is clear. Trump declares emergencies to enact policies that benefit fossil fuel companies and campaign donors. He won’t declare the one emergency that would require those same companies to change.
Climate change requires investment. Solar panels. Wind turbines. Grid modernization. Efficient buildings. Those have upfront costs even though they pay back many times over. Fossil fuel executives don’t want that investment because it threatens their business model.
So Trump declares everything except climate an emergency. He’ll use emergency powers to keep coal alive. But he won’t use them to address the actual emergency destroying communities, killing people, and costing trillions.
That’s the game. Fake emergencies to grab power and funnel money to allies. Ignore the real emergency because fixing it would require the fossil fuel industry to evolve.
Still think he’s protecting America?
Sources:
Newsweek: “Full list of national emergencies signed by Trump and in effect”
NPR: “What Trump’s national emergencies could mean for American democracy”
Climate Central: “2025 in Review: U.S. Billion-Dollar Disasters”
TIME: “Extreme Weather Disasters Cost the U.S. $115 Billion in 2025”
Christian Aid: “How much do climate change disasters cost in 2025?”