Trump Administration Pushes Privatizing Weather Forecasting Despite Increasing Number Of Extreme Weather Events

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by Sherry ChenAugust 6, 2025, 10:54 pm >

President Donald Trump and his administration are pushing for the privatization of national weather forecasting, a longtime Republican goal. Privatizing the forecasts was explicitly mentioned in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 manifesto, which has mirrored many of the administration’s priorities.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick runs the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Lutnick left his financial firm, which would benefit from privatized forecasts, to join the administration.

The recent flooding in Texas has highlighted the funding and staffing deficits at the National Weather Service. Democrats believe the DOGE budget cuts have contributed to the deadly outcome from the floods.

The president has warned not to pin blame upon the GOP, “This is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it’s just so horrible to watch… What a situation that all is. That was really the Biden setup. That was not our setup. But I wouldn’t blame Biden for it either.”

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed similar sentiments: “Many Democrat elected officials are trying to turn this into a political game, and it is not. This is a national tragedy, and the administration is treating it as such. Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.”

Democrats are squarely against any efforts to privatize the weather service.

Rick Spinrad, who was the administrator of NOAA under former President Joe Biden said: “It’s the most insidious aspect of this: Are we really talking about making weather products available only to those who can afford it? Basically, turning the weather service into a subscription streaming service? As a taxpayer, I don’t want to be in the position of saying, ‘I get a better weather forecast because I’m willing to pay for it.’”