The Biden administration has considered trying to remove World Bank President David Malpass, who assumed the post during Donald Trump's presidency, Axios is reporting.
Sources tell the website that some Biden officials are convinced he is weak on climate issues.
The officials are said to be deeply concerned that Malpass failed to respond this week when he was asked about climate change.
According to The New York Times, Malpass refused to say during a public event on climate on Tuesday whether the burning of oil, gas, and coal was driving climate change.
Asked three times, Malpass would not say if he accepted that man-made greenhouse gas emissions had created a worsening crisis that is already leading to more extreme weather, the newspaper reported.
"I'm not a scientist," he said.
Earlier in the event, former Vice President Al Gore said it is "ridiculous to have a climate denier the head of the World Bank."
Malpass went on CNN on Thursday to say that he agreed climate change is brought on by humans burning fossil fuels and he denied he was a climate-change denier.
Meanwhile, administration officials acknowledge that ousting Malpass would be a messy move and they are still not convinced the U.S. could actually remove him, according to Axios.
The bank's board of directors, which the White House doesn't control, had confirmed Malpass as president.
Some Biden officials have raised the possibility of potential replacements — including Gore and former Secretary of State John Kerry, who is now Biden's climate envoy.
But, Axios pointed out the White House hasn't tried to make a change — suggesting there may be some in the administration opposed to the move.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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