Trump Rehires Neil Jacobs, formerly NOAA chef involved in ‘Sharpiegate’

President Trump has nominated Neil Jacobs to again lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, one of the country’s leading centers of climate science and the goal of Suggestions for deep cuts of Republican groups.

Dr. Jacobs was the acting leader of NOAA in the first Trump administration when Mr. Trump claimed in the summer of 2019 that Hurricane Dorian would hit Alabama. After a NOAA meteorologist in Alabama, published on social media that Dorian would not affect Alabama, Mr. Trump’s staff NOAA leaders to say that the meteorologist had been wrong or risk being fired.

Dorian did not reach Alabama. But Dr. Jacobs bent for the pressure and released a statement that called the posting of its Alabama -weather office “Incompatible with probabilities from the best prognosis products available at the time.” A study of the incident later reprimanded Dr. Jacobs and said he had violated the agency’s ethical code.

The episode got the monic “Sharpiegate” after Trump showed a map of Dorian’s probable effects. The card had been changed with a Sharpie pen to expand this area of ​​influence to Alabama.

These events got some to criticize Dr. Jacobs’ nomination.

“While Dr. Jacobs has relevant expertise and credentials, he has already proven that he is unfit to lead NOAA by not maintaining scientific integrity on the agency, “Rachel Cleetus, Political Director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Conced Scientists, said in a statement.

Despite the episode, Dr. Jacobs generally inside the agency, where climate research mostly continued uninhibitedly under Mr. Trump’s first period, and Congress opposed the president’s calls to cut Noaa’s funding.

The question now faces Dr. Jacobs, and the whole of NOAA, is, about Mr. Trump will move more aggressively during his second period to change the agency.

Project 2025, the plan for a Republican administration produced by the Heritage Foundation, called NOAA “one of the most important driving forces for the alarm industry in climate change” and said the agency should be wound up. It was written by many people who now have senior roles in the new Trump administration.

“Neil knows that America uses Noaa’s products every day,” said Craig McLean, a career official who was the agency’s main scientist under Mr. Trump’s first period. “His last term of office showed the limits of good will against political bullying.”

Mr. McLean added, “I wish him well in what I’m sure will be a difficult situation.”