Trump's energy nominee heckled by climate protesters and ridiculed by Democrats

Lawmakers questioned President-elect Trump's energy secretary on climate change, the Los Angeles wildfires and the Biden administration's green energy agenda during his nomination hearing, which saw disruptions from several climate protesters.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a confirmation hearing for Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy Inc. and Trump's pick to lead the Energy Department, on Wednesday, which was also his birthday.

Trump's nominee was introduced by a Democratic senator, Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, who described him as having “an unbridled passion for fossil fuels.” Wright focused his responses on energy dominance, saying climate change is a “real problem,” global energy demand and his focus on growing energy resources.

“America has a historic opportunity to secure its energy systems, play a leadership role in scientific and technological innovation, manage its weapons stockpiles, and meet its waste commitments inherited from the Cold War ” Wright said in his opening statement.

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Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy Inc. and nominee for U.S. Secretary of Energy for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, United States, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. (Al Drago)

Wright said he has identified three “immediate tasks” that he would focus his attention on, if nominated: unlocking American energy, leading the world in innovation and technological breakthroughs, and increasing production in America .

“President Trump shares my passion for energy, and if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as the unapologetic steward of all sources of affordable, reliable, and safe American energy” , Wright told the committee.

Republicans, like Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, have positioned their questions on Biden administration policies, such as the ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, regulations on home appliances and, most recently, the blocking of drilling along the coast.

Several Democratic senators claimed that the committee's chairman, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, scheduled the confirmation hearing before all required documents on Wright were provided to committee members. Other Democrats used their time on the microphone to claim that the Los Angeles fires were caused by “climate change.”

President-elect Donald Trump during a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena November 4, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Somodevilla chip)

“Despite the misinformation circulating here at the Capitol, in California and everywhere else, it is clear that these fires are only reaching the size and scope they are due to unseasonably dry vegetation and extremely violent winds, both of which are a direct result of climate change,” Sen. Alex Padilla, Democrat of California, said at the hearing.

When asked about the issue of climate change, Wright said he thought it was a “real problem.”

“I've been studying and tracking climate change data and developments for at least 20 years now. It's a global problem. It's a real problem. It's a hard problem,” Wright said, adding that he believed that the solution to climate change “lies in changing our energy system”.

Fox News Digital captured footage of several climate change protesters who disrupted Wright's hearing Wednesday.

A protester holds up a “Big Oil Profits LA Burns” banner as Energy Secretary nominee Chris Wright testifies during his confirmation hearing at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday January 15, 2025. (Bill Clark)

A protester stood up while Wright was being questioned and asked if his policies would “put out the fires in Los Angeles.”

“Are you going to ask questions or just ask about the climate this whole time,” said another protester who was removed from the courtroom.

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Several other climate protesters were also stationed outside the courtroom, wearing t-shirts that read: “I will not let my future burn.”