Trump Calls for Review of Federal Judicial Center Climate Science Manual

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a review of the Federal Judicial Center’s (FJC) scientific reference manual related to climate change, claiming the publication contains "discredited" information that has contributed to significant losses for the United States.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump criticized the climate science material used to guide federal judges in evaluating scientific evidence, arguing that the judiciary should rely on what he described as factual and objective science rather than politically influenced information.

"Our Nation’s Federal Judges deserve Facts and Science, not Political Fraud and False Science on Climate," Trump wrote. He added that he was directing federal suspension and debarment officials to review the matter, though he did not specify what conduct or individuals should be investigated.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for additional details regarding the scope of the proposed review or the legal basis for the action.

The latest comments follow an earlier decision by the federal judiciary to withdraw a climate change chapter from the newest edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. The move came after Republican state attorneys general argued that the chapter presented a one-sided view that unfairly favored positions critical of the fossil fuel industry.

The Federal Judicial Center, the research and education arm of the federal judiciary, introduced the climate science chapter as part of the manual’s fourth edition, released in December after years of preparation. The manual is widely used by federal judges to assess scientific testimony and evidence presented in court.

The withdrawn chapter was written by Columbia Law School's Jessica Wentz and Radley Horton. According to its authors, the section was intended to help judges evaluate the admissibility and credibility of expert testimony and documentary evidence involving climate science.

The Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence was jointly produced by the Federal Judicial Center and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, serving as a key resource for judges handling complex scientific issues in federal litigation.