Trump Is Causing A Massive Shift In Whether People Believe In Global Warming

America is suddenly a country of believers. And they can thank President Trump.

A new study from Gallup finds that the percentage of Americans who self-identify as “concerned believers” in global warming has jumped to 50 percent (from just 37 percent in 2015), with the organization explaining:

A number of factors may influence Americans' attitudes about global warming, including the prominence of various pro- and anti-global-warming arguments, the sitting president's stance on the issue, the perceived reliability of climate science data, the state of the economy and unseasonably high or low temperatures leading up to Gallup's annual Environment poll.

Gallup says it’s the first time that a majority of Americans are now believers in the effects of global climate change.

(Gallup)

At the same time, the number of “cool skeptics” has plummeted to just 19 percent. And perhaps more importantly, those in the “mixed middle” have now dropped as well, with the implication being that Americans are finally getting off the fence when it comes to climate science.

It’s a stark contrast to consider on the same day that the president unilaterally pushed through executive orders rolling back several of President Obama’s signature initiatives designed to protect the environment. However, Gallup says these trends aren’t necessarily permanent, but it’s hard to deny the significance of a majority of Americans for the first time saying they are concerned about the environment in a meaningful way.

Still one of the most interesting findings may fly in the face of a common stereotype: Gallup says that those with college degrees tend to gravitate toward either end of the spectrum—meaning that a degree doesn’t necessarily ensure you believe in global warming, it could actually push you to the further end of the other side.