Elected Democrats Have Embraced ‘Climate Hushing.’ Are They Making a Mistake as the Midterms Loom?
Key takeaways
- They’ve pivoted to a focus on energy affordability in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran—and the resulting surge in oil prices.
- It’s clear that the high cost of gasoline and electricity is a top concern for voters.
- “Whatever their motives, the climate hushers are wrong about pretty much everything,” U.S.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
June 24, 2026 Share This Article Republish House Democrats walk down the steps of the Capitol before a news conference on Dec. 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Related Gas Industry Front Group Targets Democrats in Pennsylvania How the Iran War Reveals the Extent of Fossil Fuel Propaganda Are ‘Climate Hushers’ Lurking in the Democratic Party? Share This Article Republish Most Popular Trump Administration Abandons Fight Against Wind Energy as Clean Energy Output Surges As Global Warming Threatens Corals Worldwide, Woods Hole Scientists Search for ‘Super Reefs’ That Can Take the Heat Detainees Moved Out of Alligator Alcatraz, ICE Confirms To some political pundits and Democratic strategists, one takeaway from the 2024 presidential election was clear: Don’t talk about climate change.
An Inside Climate News analysis of press releases issued by members of the House and Senate shows that elected Democrats seem to have embraced this message of “climate hushing,” with mentions of climate change plummeting since 2025. They’ve pivoted to a focus on energy affordability in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran—and the resulting surge in oil prices.
It’s clear that the high cost of gasoline and electricity is a top concern for voters. But the idea that mentioning climate change poses a risk for Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm elections is generating pushback from many academics who study public opinion on energy and climate, and from some leading Democrats who argue that failing to link the energy affordability message to a wider picture of clean energy and climate change is a mistake.