On Tuesday, as his time in Paris drew to a close, President Obama offered some words of hope to a crowd of press gathered at the United Nations’ climate change conference.

“Climate change is a massive problem. It’s a generational program. It’s a problem that by definition is just about the most difficult thing for a political system to absorb,” he said. “And yet despite all that the main message I’ve got is, I actually think were gonna solve this thing.”

But back in the United States, Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail were touting a decidedly different message, questioning the conference’s importance and working to undermine the potential agreement before it has even been solidified.

On The Campaign Trail

“While the world is in turmoil and falling apart in so many different ways, especially with ISIS, our president is worried about global warming,” Donald Trump said in a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday. “What a ridiculous situation.”

On Sunday, the day before the climate talks began, GOP presidential candidate and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina dismissed the idea […]