Democrats Storm COP31 With 18-Strong Delegation as Trump Stays Home

The Democratic delegation — 18 strong — arrived at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, fresh off a landslide victory that gave their party control of both chambers of Congress. Their panel on the midterm elections at the 'America Is All In' pavilion drew a crowd that spilled out the doors. Lawmakers used the moment to signal to delegates that Washington's stance on climate is shifting.

'Many of our allies and partners across the world think the United States has not been predictable or dependable. So we have a lot of trust to earn back,' Florida Representative Kathy Castor told AFP, after the group posed in front of a large COP31 sign in the sprawling expo centre. 'We have so much work to do. And yes, I hope the United States gets back on track with urgent climate action,' she said.

Arizona lawmaker Yassamin Ansari did not soften her words about the administration back home. 'It is absolutely shameful that the Trump administration operates this way, that this is an administration that is filled with climate deniers, that is beholden to big oil in the United States,' she told AFP.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has rolled back clean energy policies, promoted oil drilling, pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement and kept the country away from the UN's climate negotiations altogether. Democrats have vowed to use their new House and Senate majorities to investigate those policies and propose clean energy legislation. Trump has promised to wield his veto, but Ansari argued that with Americans of every political background wanting lower energy bills, the White House will be 'very hard pressed' to block cost-cutting legislation.

The election result has become a talking point in Antalya, where hopes are growing that Democrats can restore clean energy policy and elect a pro-climate president in two years. 'What happened in the US is remarkable, and a much needed shift that we all needed, not only from a climate perspective, but overall,' Harjeet Singh, strategic advisor to the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, told AFP. US mayors and governors visited COP31 earlier in the week, alongside former vice president Al Gore and former climate envoy and secretary of state John Kerry.

California Congressman Raul Ruiz reminded the room that states and local governments never stopped promoting renewables. 'Despite the setbacks that we're experiencing through this Trump administration, climate action is alive in America,' he told the panel. The Republicans' rout last week came largely from anger over soaring energy prices and Trump's costly war with Iran.