N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy pledges commitment to fighting climate change amid Trump presidency

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As President-elect Donald Trump promises to roll back Biden-era climate policies, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he remains steadfast in his commitment to fight climate change during the new Trump administration.

The Democratic governor’s comments came as New Jersey declared a drought warning following record-low rainfall leading to the region’s driest conditions in the past 120 years. As a result, the state is battling an unseasonably high number of wildfires, and its reservoir and groundwater supplies are dwindling.

“Now more than ever, New Jersey’s commitment to combating and adapting to climate change is unwavering,” Murphy said during a Wednesday press conference. “Regardless of which administration is in power at the federal level, our state is not going to back down. We’re going to do everything we can to reduce emissions, protect our precious environment and build a more sustainable future.”

Trump has promised to reverse Biden-era initiatives aimed at fighting global warming, including efforts to transition away from gas-guzzling cars in favor of electric vehicles. He campaigned on pledges to boost fossil fuel production, calling for more oil and gas drilling, and to scrap offshore wind projects and electric car subsidies.

During his first term as president, Trump dismantled more than 100 environmental rules, including pulling the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement and weakening greenhouse gas standards.

On Wednesday, Democratic governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis of Colorado announced they will co-chair a coalition of Democratic governors vowing to resist a number of conservative Trump policies.

More than a week ago, Murphy said his team was part of a meeting to “war game” a second Trump term. 

“If it’s contrary to our values, we’ll fight to the death,” he told reporters. “If there is an opportunity for common ground, we’ll seize that as fast as anybody.”