Donald Trump’s making waves again with his claims about windmills. He’s been telling crowds that wind turbines are “driving whales crazy” and causing them to die. But marine biologists say there’s no proof connecting windmills to whale deaths. Instead, scientists point to shipping traffic and boat strikes as the real culprits behind increased whale deaths since 2016.
Trump’s windmill warnings don’t stop there. He’s claimed the noise from turbines causes cancer – a statement the American Cancer Society says is completely false. Medical experts explain that sound waves can’t damage DNA or trigger cancer. There’s simply no evidence linking wind turbines to cancer in humans.
Sound waves can’t damage DNA or trigger cancer, medical experts confirm.
President Trump also insists wind power isn’t really green. However, wind turbines produce far less pollution over their lifetime than coal or gas plants. Wind energy now provides about 10% of America’s electricity. In 2024, wind and solar power together produced more electricity than coal for the first time in US history. The US Department of Energy reports that 90% recyclable materials make up a decommissioned wind turbine, contradicting claims about disposal problems. Modern turbines operate at 20-45% efficiency while producing zero emissions during operation.
Trump questions whether wind power even works, saying it’s unreliable and needs government handouts to survive. But modern power grids use batteries and other tools to handle times when the wind doesn’t blow. Onshore wind farms are now as cheap or cheaper to build than new coal or gas plants in most parts of the country. While subsidies helped wind power get started, many wind projects now succeed without federal support. The US has grown from 2.4 gigawatts of wind capacity in 2000 to 150.1 gigawatts by April 2024.
Property values near wind farms have become another battleground. Trump claims homes lose 75% of their value when turbines go up nearby. Real estate studies don’t back this up. While some research shows small price drops in certain cases, nothing close to the dramatic crash Trump describes has been documented.
Despite millions viewing Trump’s anti-windmill videos on social media, the facts tell a different story. Wind power continues growing across America, providing clean electricity without the dire consequences Trump predicts. As renewable energy expands, these claims face increasing scrutiny from scientists, economists, and energy experts who work with real-world data rather than campaign rhetoric.
References
- https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-debunking-trumps-false-claims-on-wind-energy/a-72824310
- https://www.factcheck.org/2025/02/what-to-know-about-trumps-executive-order-on-wind-energy/
- https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/trumps-faulty-wind-power-claims/
- https://climatepower.us/news/fact-check-trumps-weird-obsession-with-wind-turbines-is-not-rooted-in-reality-or-the-basic-tenets-of-bird-law/
