It looks like Donald Trump made a rather inaccurate statement regarding rising sea levels and its potential impact on property.
In a speech in Michigan, he suggested that rising sea levels would result in more seafront property, which is factually incorrect, especially when considering Michigan’s geography.
Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes, not oceans, and sits hundreds of feet above sea level.
Rising sea levels, due to climate change, wouldn’t result in Michigan gaining oceanfront property but could lead to other environmental issues like increased flooding or erosion.
Trump might have been trying to speak more generally about coastal properties, but even then, his understanding of the effects of rising sea levels is flawed.
Rather than increasing property, rising seas would submerge coastal areas, reducing land area. For example, his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida would lose a significant portion of its land if sea levels rose, not gain more.
Climate experts like Michael E. Mann have previously corrected such misunderstandings, emphasizing the real risks that rising sea levels pose to coastal properties rather than the benefits Trump hinted at.