America might not be leaving the Paris climate accord, after all


Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday said President Trump is "open" to remaining in the Paris climate accord under the right conditions. "The president said he is open to finding those conditions where we can remain engaged with others on what we all agree is still a challenging issue," Tillerson said on CBS's Face The Nation.
The comments came one day after the White House denied a Wall Street Journal report that made similar claims. In a statement, Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said, "There has been no change in the U.S.'s position on the Paris Agreement," but added a caveat: "As the president has made abundantly clear, the U.S. is withdrawing unless we can re-enter on terms that are more favorable to our country."
UPDATE 11:40 a.m.: Also on Sunday, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said on Fox News Sunday that Trump is absolutely not reconsidering pulling out of the climate accord. "That's a false report," McMaster said. "The president decided to pull out of the Paris accord because it's a bad deal for the American people and it's a bad deal for the environment." However, McMaster said, the president's "ears are open if, at some point, they decide they can come forward with an agreement that addresses the president's very legitimate concerns with Paris." So much for clarity!
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jessica Hullinger is a writer and former deputy editor of The Week Digital. Originally from the American Midwest, she completed a degree in journalism at Indiana University Bloomington before relocating to New York City, where she pursued a career in media. After joining The Week as an intern in 2010, she served as the title’s audience development manager, senior editor and deputy editor, as well as a regular guest on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. Her writing has featured in other publications including Popular Science, Fast Company, Fortune, and Self magazine, and she loves covering science and climate-related issues.
-
Cameron House Resort & Spa: a luxurious lakeside haven
The Week Recommends This stunning five-star resort on the shores of Loch Lomond is perfect for a special Scottish getaway
-
Albania’s AI government minister: a portent of things to come?
In The Spotlight A bot called Diella has been tasked with tackling the country's notorious corruption problem
-
Hyatt Regency Lisbon: a tranquil oasis in the historic district of Belém
The Week Recommends With its sprawling spa and prime location overlooking the River Tagus, this luxury hotel is a great place to escape the bustle of the city
-
New York court tosses Trump's $500M fraud fine
Speed Read A divided appeals court threw out a hefty penalty against President Trump for fraudulently inflating his wealth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year