How Trump Plans to Gut the Environment to Pay for Iran (w/Ayana Elizabeth Johnson)

How Trump Plans to Gut the Environment to Pay for Iran (w/Ayana Elizabeth Johnson)

From Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams by Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

April 7, 2026 · 1h 12m · Episode 78

About this episode

Stacey Abrams and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson discuss the environmental impacts of military conflict and the importance of local activism in the face of climate change challenges.

While the war with Iran rages on, President Trump has asked Congress for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, offset in part by further draconian cuts to environmental programs. This week, Stacey is joined by marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, to talk about what climate scientists and activists can still do in the face of an administration that pretends the climate crisis doesn’t exist. They talk about the environmental impacts of military conflict, how race plays into climate politics, and how local action is a powerful frontier when fighting the crisis. With Earth Day and the paperback release of Johnson’s book, “What If We Get It Right?” coming up, they also focus on reframing the conversation around what is possible if we continue to fight for change. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here . For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Dr. Johnson’s smart, action-oriented book “ What If We Get It Right: Visions of Climate Futures ” Solve Problems: Join a local group like Sunrise Movement (for youth), Third Act (for seniors), and Citizens…

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