Andrew Harnik / AP
Senior White House officials briefed reporters Thursday on the details behind President Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal. They repeatedly insisted that Trump is "sincere" in his promise to renegotiate a better deal for the American economy, and stated that they have no doubts that other countries will work with them:
"Other countries and our allies have a strong interest in coming to an agreement with the US. There is no question that other countries are going to want to sit down with us and talk about a potential way forward."
Note: Shortly after Trump's official announcement to withdraw the U.S., the leaders France, Italy, and Germany released a statement noting their "regret" of the decision, and stated that they "firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated."
Trump's deciding factor: The underlying issue for Trump is that he feels the Paris deal, as well as what the Obama administration agreed to, negatively impacts the American worker and U.S. manufacturing.
Their justification: The officials emphasized that the U.S. has been "the leader" in cutting CO2 emissions for the last decade. "Our environmental protections are second to none," they explained. "And America is going to continue to lead in cutting CO2 emissions."
Does Trump believe in climate change? The officials refused to comment on the president's "personal views."
See the WH fact sheet handed out during the briefing.