As part of its engagement effort to reach 1.5 million young voters in swing states, the climate justice group Sunrise Movement on Monday organized a protest at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Phoenix, Arizona campaign office, where they attempted to deliver a check to “buy” the former president “back from Big Oil.”
Five campaigners delivered a fake campaign check reading, “$1 billion and $1,” a reference to Trump’s promise to oil executives that he would slash regulations and end President Joe Biden’s renewable energy initiatives if they donated $1 billion to his campaign.
“My future, and the future of this country, shouldn’t be up for sale,” said 20-year-old Nate Scofield, a campaigner from North Carolina who occupied Trump’s Phoenix office. “Donald Trump is putting our futures on the auction block. He’s gutting green jobs, handing tax cuts to billionaires, and ignoring the climate crisis. We came here today to send a clear message: We won’t stand by while he sells out our families and our future.”
The occupation was met with hostility by Trump campaign staffers, who yelled, “Get your ass out of here,” and “I hope you don’t have kids” at the campaigners.
The campaigners sat in the office holding signs reading, “Trump profits, Arizona burns” and “Billionaires Own Trump.”
Ashton Dolce, 17, spoke about how the climate crisis has devastated Arizona, where officials suspect hundreds of people may have died in just one county from extreme heat this summer.
“The heat is relentless, wildfires rage, and our water is disappearing,” said Dolce. “Donald Trump’s response? Let our homes burn while cashing in from Big Oil. Arizona is at the frontlines of the climate crisis, but we are also on the frontlines of this election. That’s why I’m organizing my community, mobilizing young voters, and holding Trump accountable for his loyalty to Big Oil.”
Police were called an arrested the organizers, but 21-year-old Riya Kumar of Idaho said she was “willing to take this risk today because my family and my future are on the line this election.”
“Living in Idaho, I’ve seen wildfires worsen every year, and the smoke choking our communities,” said Kumar. “We can’t afford Donald Trump as president.”
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