ED HENRY (CO-HOST): Well, there’s Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) comparing the impact of climate change, yes, to September 11th and the terror attacks. Our next guest worked with for President Bush when 9/11 happened. Joining me now, Republican strategist, former presidential speechwriter Ned Ryun. ... What’s your reaction as someone who worked for George W. Bush?
NED RYUN (REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST): Well, this is absurd and unconscionable to equate the hoax of man-made global warming to one of the greatest terrorist attacks we've ever experienced in this country, Ed. And I'd also add into this, I had a grandfather that was a landing craft commander at D-Day. So I find in equating those massive sacrifices of 9/11 and D-Day with their pet political agenda -- that's not a scientific research agenda. It is a political agenda, many times driven by scientists who are on perpetual government grants, as Patrick Moore, founder of Greenpeace, pointed out. He said, the climate crisis is a fake crisis. And to equate those with those massive sacrifices is unconscionable and I think we should keep calling these people out for what they're doing. The thing that’s amazing, Ed, is how shrill they’re getting as the Green New Deal is tanking and continuing to lose traction even with the Democratic Party. And I think she'll become even more shrill as we move along.
...
HENRY: Ned, on the other hand. I've got a minute left. I heard you use the word “hoax” a couple of times on climate change.
RYUN: That's right.
HENRY: And AOC and others would say whether you like the specifics or not, what they’re talking about is a mobilization, getting the country together. Does it make sense for your party to ignore the idea of mobilization, even if her analogies are wrong, and just deal with climate change instead of calling it a hoax?
RYUN: Well I think climate change is real and I would agree with Patrick Moore that it happens. We go through cycles in our planet’s history. For us to mobilize and to basically annihilate -- if we were to follow everything in the Paris Accord, we would annihilate our economy and lower the temperature by a couple tenths of a degree. That is absurd, it is not real. I think we’re called to be good stewards of our climate. We're not called to do all of these things that would actually really be damaging to the American people.