Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) admitted climate change was "real" at a confirmation hearing to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
During his first term, President-elect Trump made deregulation at the EPA a top agenda item and was expected to double down during his second term.
During a Thursday Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) pointed to recent hurricanes and wildfires in California as evidence of a changing climate.
"In the midst of all of that, President-elect Trump has said that climate change is a hoax," Sanders explained. "Do you agree with President-elect Trump that climate change is a hoax?"
"I believe that climate change is real, as I told you," Zeldin replied. "As far as President Trump goes, the context that I've heard him speak about it was with criticism of policies that have been acted because of climate change, and I think he's concerned about the economic costs of some policies where there's a debate and a difference of opinion between parties."
ALSO READ: Fox News has blood on its hands as Trump twists the knife
Sanders interrupted to disagree.
"I think he has called it a hoax time and time and time again," the senator said of Trump. "Would you describe climate change as an existential threat, meaning that there must be an urgency to get our act together, to get our act together to address it?"
"Senator, we must, with urgency, be addressing these issues," Zeldin insisted.