On Wednesday's New Day on CNN, after John Avlon recited a piece attacking the Donald Trump administration's reaction to alarmist global warming predictions, co-host John Berman likened Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to the villain Lex Luthor, who infamously planned to mass murder Americans on the West Coast so he could benefit financially, in the 1978 film Superman.
At 7:38 a.m. Eastern, there was a segment with meteorologist Patrick Marsh about the large number of tornadoes that have torn through the Midwest in which the possibility of "climate change" affecting such weather was briefly discussed near the end. Berman then transitioned to the next segment: "He said it's too early to tell if this is climate change, but it does beg the question: What is the Trump administration doing about climate change? What they're merely saying about it is stunning enough."
Avlon began by recounting a bizarre quote by Trump administration member William Happer likening carbon dioxide to Jews being targeted by Adolf Hitler, and then listed several reactions and arguments made against global warming alarmism made by the Trump administration in the last few years.
Avlon soon got to a recent statement by Pompeo: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently attended a council meeting where they are literally dealing with the effects of climate change every day. He told them to look on the bright side."
Then came a clip of Pompeo speaking at the event in Finland: "The Arctic is at the forefront of opportunity and abundance. Steady reductions in sea ice are opening new passageways and new opportunities for trade."
Avlon continued: "And then, to add insult to injury, Pompeo reportedly refused to sign the group's joint statement unless all references to climate change were removed."
He added: "The official position of the Trump administration is now climate change denial. Industry is trying to benefit from this war on science, and they've got the administration staffing to prove it."
After Avlon wrapped up the segment by warning that "your tax dollars are being used to try to twist the truth at the expense of future generations," co-host Alisyn Camerota gushed: "John, that is so eye-opening. I am so glad you brought us that 'Reality Check.' As scientists have told us on this program, climate change doesn't really care if President Trump believes in it. It's moving ahead."
Berman then made the Superman reference as he cracked: "You know, Mike Pompeo talking about investment opportunites in the Arctic is like Lex Luthor buying up land as beach front property in case California falls into the ocean."
In the film Superman, Luthor's evil plan was to sink West California using a nuclear missile so that land he owned in the East California desert would suddenly become very valuable, resulting in the deaths of millions in the process.
