Actor Harrison Ford was direct in expressing his views on Donald Trump’s impact on the environment.
“It’s unbelievable. I don’t know of a greater criminal in history,” he told The Guardian.
He went on to say: “Donald Trump doesn’t have any policies, he has whims. It scares the shit out of me. The ignorance, the hubris, the lies, the perfidy. [Trump] knows better, but he’s an instrument of the status quo and he’s making money, hand over fist, while the world goes to hell in a handbasket.”
Ford Calls Trump’s Climate Record Dangerous
The longtime climate advocate said Trump’s disregard for science and support for fossil fuels puts him among the worst actors in modern history.
Ford’s harsh criticism comes as Trump continues to push fossil fuel expansion during his second term.
He has dismantled numerous climate and clean air protections, stalled clean energy projects, and reportedly urged oil and gas companies to “drill, baby, drill.”
He also removed mentions of “climate change” and “emissions” from government communications, fired hundreds of scientists, and once again withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement.
Global Impact and Mockery of Renewables
Trump hasn’t limited his actions to the U.S. He has also urged the United Kingdom to get rid of wind turbines in favor of more oil drilling, and pressed the European Union to relax its climate rules and buy more American fossil fuels.
In a speech to the United Nations, Trump claimed:
“Climate change was the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”
Ford dismissed Trump’s view of green energy as a “scam,” joking that the former president dislikes wind turbines because “he has just not seen a gold one.”
Ford added that Trump’s actions on the environment represent “a clear expression of ignorance, of hubris and purposeful subterfuge.”
Climate Disasters and Personal Impact
Ford’s comments come after a year of extreme climate events.
Earlier in 2025, he was forced to evacuate his Los Angeles home due to massive wildfires linked to global heating.
At the time, he said:
“Everything we’ve said about climate change has come true. Why is that not sufficient that it alarms people that they change behaviors? Because of the entrenched status quo.”
Still Hope for Climate Progress
Despite his criticism of Trump, Ford remains hopeful. “He’s losing ground because everything he says is a lie,” he said.
“I’m confident we can mitigate against [climate change], that we can buy time to change behaviors, to create new technologies, to concentrate more fully on implementation of those policies.”
He stressed the need for political will and public focus to address the crisis.
“We are incredibly adaptive, we are incredibly inventive. If we concentrate on a problem, we can fix it most times.”
Honored for Conservation Work
Ford spoke to The Guardian ahead of receiving a conservation leadership award from the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation at Chicago’s Field Museum.
He praised the late biologist Edward O. Wilson, who once named a species of ant after Ford, and called for expanded global conservation efforts.
“We are teetering on the edge,” Ford said, referring to ongoing deforestation and biodiversity loss.
He emphasized the role of Indigenous communities in protecting forests, adding that while science supports their efforts, “the protection they are granted is tenuous in some of the countries these assets exist in.”
Ford has spent decades advocating for environmental protection. His latest remarks are among his strongest yet, reflecting growing frustration with political resistance to urgent climate action.
As the world faces intensifying climate threats, Ford’s message is clear: urgent action can’t wait. He hopes that truth, science, and global cooperation will win out over denial and delay.
IMAGE CREDIT: ”Harrison Ford speaking during an FYC panel for Shrinking at Televerse 2025 in Los Angeles, California” by Kevin Paul, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Image adjusted for layout.