Key facts
- President Donald Trump has ordered a review of the Federal Judicial Center's scientific reference manual.
- Trump claims the manual contains "discredited" information regarding climate change.
- He directed Federal Suspension and Debarment Officials to investigate the matter.
- A chapter on climate change was previously withdrawn from the manual following objections from Republican state attorneys general.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a review of the Federal Judicial Center's scientific reference manual, alleging that it contains "discredited" information on climate change that has led to "huge losses" for the country. Trump stated on Truth Social that federal judges deserve factual science, not "political fraud and false science on climate," and directed Federal Suspension and Debarment Officials to review the conduct. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this year, the federal judiciary withdrew a chapter addressing climate change from the newest edition of its manual on scientific evidence. This action followed arguments from Republican state attorneys general that the chapter was biased against fossil fuel companies. The Federal Judicial Center, the judiciary's research arm, had incorporated the climate change chapter as part of a planned update for the manual's fourth edition, released in December. Judges utilize this manual when evaluating scientific testimony in legal cases.
The disputed section in the fourth edition of the FJC's Reference Manual for Scientific Evidence was authored by Jessica Wentz and Radley Horton of Columbia Law School. Its purpose was to assist judges in assessing the admissibility and weight of expert testimony and documentary evidence related to climate science. The Federal Judicial Center jointly produced the manual with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.