Great American Outdoors Act President Trump

The President’s green comedy routine

A token, triumphal green moment for a president and party who just might need such a thing in an election year.

Last Tuesday, we almost had a breakthrough moment on the environment.


With Interior Secretary David Bernhardt by his side, the 45th President prepared to set pen to paper on a bipartisan, nearly unassailable conservation bill to protect National Parks and other wild lands.

And then comedy broke out.

As God as my witness, President Donald J. Trump, offered soaring rhetoric: "When young Americans experience the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon, when their eyes widen in amazement as Old Faithful bursts into the sky, when they gaze upon Yosemite's — Yosemite's towering sequoias, their love of country grows stronger and they know that every American has truly a duty to preserve this wondrous inheritance."

But wait. When Trump got to the word "Yosemite" in his script, he tripped over it as if it were a word in Esperanto or Klingon. The first try was something like "YOH-seh-might." On the second try, he added a syllable, "YOH-se-ni-might."

Such a kidder.

Dear God, as an inveterate TV watcher, hasn't this man even heard of one of the most precious places on Earth, even if it's in a state run by Democrats? Hasn't he at least heard of Yosemite Sam, the colorful and prominent Westerner who apparently holds naming rights to the place?

Hats off to Sarah Lefton, a digital media creator, who turned Trump's gaffe into an ethnically-themed "Yo, Semite" T-shirt design that's reportedly going viral.

To be sure, the Great American Outdoors Act is a complete outlier for a man who put the "lier" in "outlier." It funds long-delayed maintenance of public lands and permanently renews the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a landmark conservation law first signed by President Lyndon Johnson. The Republican-controlled Senate, where such measures often go to die these days, passed the Act by a 73-25 vote. It was a token, triumphal green moment for a president and party who just might need such a thing in an election year.

But then Trump turned Half Dome into Half-Ass, and Yosemite became "Yoh-se-might"—a name that might sound more at home on a big can of powder in a GNC store. Mitigating factor? Tens of millions of Trump's faithful now hold the unshakeable belief that not only is "Yoh-se-might" correct, but since the days of the Miwok and Paiute nations, it's the only way it's ever been pronounced.

Just about every major news outlet covered the signing. Fox News covered it, well, a tad differently. They didn't find the "Yoh-Se-Mite" gag funny enough to include, but added a howler of their own: "The fishing and gaming industry"was well-represented at the signing, Fox reported. The President's last go-round with the "gaming industry," by all accounts, didn't go so so well.

All of which brings us back to Yoh-so-might. If, as the great documentarian Ken Burns has said, national parks are "America's greatest idea," why does our president not have a clue?

Peter Dykstra is our weekend editor and columnist. His views do not necessarily represent those of Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate or publisher, Environmental Health Sciences. Contact him at pdykstra@ehn.org or on Twitter at @Pdykstra.

Banner photo: President Trump signs the Great American Outdoors Act on Aug. 4, 2020. (Credit: The White House)

aerial photography of mountain under blue and white sky

Are we learning the right lessons from Hurricane Helene?

As we remember Hurricane Helene’s devastation, too many people and communities are just beginning to rebuild. Yet one year after this historic storm, decisions at both the state and federal levels are undermining efforts to protect lives and property from future disasters.

A man driving a tractor

Farmers test drive electric tractors as researchers explore greener future for agriculture

At a Michigan State University pilot event, farmers tried out electric tractors that promise quieter, lower-emission farming, though battery limits and high costs remain obstacles.

Girl sitting on the floor with a worried look on her face

Commentary: How to talk to children about their anxiety over climate change

A global survey of young people aged 16 to 25 found that 84% are at least moderately worried about climate change.
A man in an orange safety vest walking on a roof inspecting solar panels

More Americans working in clean energy than as servers or cashiers

The U.S. added nearly 100,000 clean energy jobs in 2024, bringing the total to more than 3.5 million, surpassing employment in nursing, teaching, and food service. Analysts warn the sector’s rapid growth is faltering as new policies and regulatory hurdles cloud its future.

A bee hive with honey

Bees, once buzzing in honey-producing Basra, hit by Iraq's water crisis

Bees once thrived among the date palms along the Shatt al-Arab, where Iraq's mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet, but drought has shrivelled the green trees and life in the apiaries that dot the riverbank is under threat.
Donald Trump speaking at lectern
Credit: Copyright: actionsports/BigStock Photo ID: 125165264

Trump calls climate change a ‘con job’ as leaders of drowning nations watch at the UN

In his address at the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump excoriated renewable energy, international climate diplomacy, the science of global warming and other environmental issues.
protester holding signs outside government building
Photo by Mike Newbry on Unsplash

Extreme weather and extreme politics go hand in hand – Trump and Musk are pushing both

Rabble-rousing of far-right demagogues is a reminder that the battle for a fair and habitable planet cannot be fought alone.

From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.