{"id":334945,"date":"2026-01-20T16:01:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/?post_type=to4_article_post&#038;p=334945"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:01:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:01:45","slug":"big-oils-priority-in-2026-is-shielding-the-industry-from-climate-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"to4_article_post","link":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/articles\/big-oils-priority-in-2026-is-shielding-the-industry-from-climate-lawsuits\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Oil\u2019s Priority in 2026 Is Shielding the Industry From Climate Lawsuits"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"truth-post-content-before\" id=\"truth-3929361927\"><div class=\"callout callout inline-callout mb-5 callout--text callout--text\" id=\"truth-304218\" data-callout-id=\"304218\" data-callout-theme=\"text\" data-callout-placement=\"Undefined\" data-callout-title=\"BCB 304218 Support justice-driven, accurate and transparent news...\"><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support justice-driven, accurate and transparent news \u2014 make a <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/support.truthout.org\/-\/XXQLBDSX\/&amp;utm_source=truthout&amp;utm_medium=bcb&amp;utm_campaign=304218\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quick donation<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to Truthout today!\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><aside class=\"wp-block-truthout-aside-block\">\n      <p><em>This article by <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/big-oil-declares-war-on-climate-lawsuits\">ExxonKnews<\/a><em> is published here as part of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.<\/em><\/p>\n  <\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the U.S. oil lobby\u2019s top priorities for 2026 will be trying to put an end to the growing number of state laws and lawsuits that could make fossil fuel companies pay billions for their role in the climate crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The plans to \u201cprotect\u201d oil companies from \u201cabusive state climate lawsuits\u201d were laid out in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.api.org\/-\/media\/Files\/misc\/2026\/EnergyAgenda_2026.pdf\">policy agenda<\/a> from the American Petroleum Institute, the largest oil and gas trade association in the country. In an effort to avoid becoming the next Big Tobacco, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/energy-oil\/oil-companies-seek-trumps-help-to-thwart-climate-lawsuits-superfund-laws-7e332d0d\">previous reporting<\/a>, the oil lobby is hoping to stomp out lawsuits that could result in massive damages, unearth private company documents, and in some cases dramatically alter their marketing practices, before they reach trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>API also said it would try to quash the \u201cexpansion of climate \u2018superfund\u2019 policies\u201d \u2014 state laws that make oil companies fund climate disaster recovery and adaptation, <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1_JXpsfbLRoFBu0nRDa_Y_5FVtX22fDnO\/view?ref=climateinthecourts.com\">two<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/assets\/documents\/Complaint-Chamber-v.-James-S.D.N.Y.pdf\">of<\/a> which the American Petroleum Institute and other industry allies are challenging in court.<\/p><div class=\"truth-post-content-high\" id=\"truth-1339958561\"><div class=\"callout inline-callout p-4 mb-5 callout--subscribe callout--light\" id=\"truth-255392\" data-callout-id=\"255392\" data-callout-theme=\"light\" data-callout-placement=\"Post Content - High\" data-callout-title=\"Never miss another story\"><h4>Never miss another story<\/h4>\n<p>Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.<\/p>\n<script>\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.\"),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"action\",o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"filter\",o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(\"action\",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(\"filter\",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(\"action\",o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(\"filter\",o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+\"_\"+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){\"function\"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),\"action\"==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),\"filter\"==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});\n<\/script>\n\n                <div class='gf_browser_unknown gform_wrapper gform_legacy_markup_wrapper gform-theme--no-framework gform_wrapper gform_legacy_markup_wrapper gform-theme--no-framework_original_id_1 subscribe-form_wrapper input-group_wrapper' data-form-theme='legacy' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_231442098' ><div id='gf_231442098' class='gform_anchor' tabindex='-1'><\/div><form method='post' enctype='multipart\/form-data' target='gform_ajax_frame_231442098' id='gform_231442098' class='subscribe-form input-group' action='\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/to4_article_post\/334945#gf_231442098' data-formid='1' novalidate>\n                        <div class='gform-body gform_body'><ul id='gform_fields_231442098' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below validation_below'><li id=\"field_1_11\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-honeypot gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below gfield--has-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_231442098_11'>Company<\/label><div class='ginput_container'><input name='input_11' id='input_231442098_11' type='text' value='' autocomplete='new-password'\/><\/div><div class='gfield_description' id='gfield_description_1_11'>This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.<\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_1\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-email gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below hidden_label field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_231442098_1'>Email<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_asterisk\">*<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'>\n                            <input name='input_1' id='input_231442098_1' type='email' value='' class='medium'   placeholder='&#x6e;a&#x6d;&#101;&#x40;&#101;m&#x61;&#105;&#x6c;&#46;c&#x6f;&#109;' aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"  \/>\n                        <\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_5\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_5' id='input_231442098_5' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='' \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_6\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_6' id='input_231442098_6' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='' \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_7\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_7' id='input_231442098_7' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='' \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_9\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_9' id='input_231442098_9' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='' \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_8\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_8' id='input_231442098_8' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='' \/><\/div><\/li><li id=\"field_1_10\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_10' id='input_231442098_10' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='' \/><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n        <div class='gform-footer gform_footer top_label'> <input type='submit' id='gform_submit_button_231442098' class='gform_button button' onclick='gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);' data-submission-type='submit' value='Subscribe'  \/> <input type='hidden' name='gform_ajax' value='form_id=1&amp;title=&amp;description=&amp;tabindex=0&amp;theme=legacy&amp;hash=593d1db39c763ae878bbad5d2b573973' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submission_method' data-js='gform_submission_method_1' value='iframe' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_theme' data-js='gform_theme_1' id='gform_theme_1' value='legacy' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_style_settings' data-js='gform_style_settings_1' id='gform_style_settings_1' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_1' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='1' \/>\n            \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_1' value='WyJbXSIsIjY1ZDU1NDE3M2ZkMThlYjM4YzM3YTA3MGIxNTlkNjBhIl0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_1' id='gform_target_page_number_231442098_1' value='0' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_1' id='gform_source_page_number_231442098_1' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' name='gform_random_id' value='231442098' \/><input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' \/>\n            \n        <\/div>\n                        <\/form>\n                        <\/div>\n\t\t                <iframe style='display:none;width:0px;height:0px;' src='about:blank' name='gform_ajax_frame_231442098' id='gform_ajax_frame_231442098' title='This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.'><\/iframe>\n\t\t                <script>\ngform.initializeOnLoaded( function() {gformInitSpinner( 231442098, 'https:\/\/truthout.org\/app\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_231442098').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_231442098');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_231442098').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery('html').css('margin-top'), 10) + parseInt(jQuery('body').css('margin-top'), 10) + 100;if(is_form){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_231442098').html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass('gform_validation_error')){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_231442098').addClass('gform_validation_error');} else {jQuery('#gform_wrapper_231442098').removeClass('gform_validation_error');}setTimeout( function() { \/* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome *\/ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gform_wrapper_231442098').offset().top - mt); }, 50 );if(window['gformInitDatepicker']) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window['gformInitPriceFields']) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery('#gform_source_page_number_231442098_1').val();gformInitSpinner( 231442098, 'https:\/\/truthout.org\/app\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery(document).trigger('gform_page_loaded', [231442098, current_page]);window['gf_submitting_231442098'] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK').html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery('#gform_wrapper_231442098').replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gf_231442098').offset().top - mt);jQuery(document).trigger('gform_confirmation_loaded', [231442098]);window['gf_submitting_231442098'] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery('#gform_confirmation_message_231442098').text());}else{jQuery('#gform_231442098').append(contents);if(window['gformRedirect']) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(\"gform_pre_post_render\", [{ formId: \"1\", currentPage: \"current_page\", abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]);        if (event && event.defaultPrevented) {                return;        }        const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_wrapper_1\" );        if ( gformWrapperDiv ) {            const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( \"span\" );            visibilitySpan.id = \"gform_visibility_test_1\";            gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( \"afterend\", visibilitySpan );        }        const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_visibility_test_1\" );        let postRenderFired = false;        function triggerPostRender() {            if ( postRenderFired ) {                return;            }            postRenderFired = true;            gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 1, current_page );            if ( visibilityTestDiv ) {                visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv );            }        }        function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) {            var timeout;            return function() {                var context = this, args = arguments;                var later = function() {                    timeout = null;                    if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args );                };                var callNow = immediate && !timeout;                clearTimeout( timeout );                timeout = setTimeout( later, wait );                if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args );            };        }        const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() {            triggerPostRender();        }, 200 );        if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) {            const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => {                mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => {                    if ( mutation.type === 'attributes' && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) {                        debouncedTriggerPostRender();                        observer.disconnect();                    }                });            });            observer.observe( document.body, {                attributes: true,                childList: false,                subtree: true,                attributeFilter: [ 'style', 'class' ],            });        } else {            triggerPostRender();        }    } );} );\n<\/script>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The agenda makes official the oil industry\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/09\/04\/climate\/lawsuits-superfund-trump-justice-climate.html\">escalating<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/news\/26102025\/trump-republicans-big-oil-climate-liability\/\">lobbying effort<\/a> since Trump took office to pressure Congress to pass legislation shielding oil companies from climate cases brought by dozens of state, local, and tribal governments across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The industry may only have a year left with a Republican trifecta in Washington to secure a \u201cliability shield,\u201d which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ag.ky.gov\/Press%20Release%20Attachments\/Letter%20to%20Dep%27t%20of%20Justice%20on%20Energy%20Actions%20%28corrected%29.pdf\">16 Republican state attorneys general asked<\/a> the U.S. attorney general to recommend to Congress last year. State bills strictly limiting state and city officials\u2019 ability to bring climate lawsuits against oil companies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jan\/13\/republicans-climate-liability-shield-fossil-fuel-industry\">have already been introduced<\/a> in Utah and Oklahoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/can-dc-police-big-oil\">separate House Republican proposal to prevent the District of Columbia<\/a> from using funds to enforce its consumer protection laws against \u201coil and gas companies for environmental claims\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eenews.net\/articles\/republican-attack-on-dc-climate-lawsuit-fizzles\/\">appears to have been defeated<\/a> for now.<br><br>The lawsuits argue that major oil companies should be held liable for deceiving the public about the dangers of fossil fuels, and despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/state-judges-side-with-big-oil-teeing\">some rulings for oil companies<\/a> in lower courts, a number of cases <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/eenews\/2025\/12\/02\/exxon-bid-to-dismiss-connecticut-climate-lawsuit-fails-00671557\">are<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eenews.net\/articles\/minnesota-notches-a-legal-win-against-exxon\/\">moving forward<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/supreme-court-turns-down-big-oil\">toward trial<\/a>. The American Petroleum Institute itself is named as a defendant in many of them, including cases filed by the attorneys general of California, Minnesota, Hawai\u2019i, Delaware, and New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The push comes as other industries, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2026\/jan\/06\/pesticide-industry-protection-bill-removed\">pesticides<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.levernews.com\/the-plot-to-outlaw-ai-lawsuits\/\">Big Tech<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.levernews.com\/the-human-trafficking-case-that-could-hand-government-contractors-blanket-immunity\/\">private prison operators<\/a>, are seeking similar industry-wide legal protections. The most notorious success was notched by the gun lobby in 2005, when it convinced lawmakers to pass a law shielding gun manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits brought by victims of gun violence and their local representatives. If oil companies are as successful as the gun industry was, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/what-big-oil-learned-from-the-gun\">advocates and legal experts fear<\/a> victims of climate disaster could also be prevented from holding companies accountable for their wrongdoings \u2014 at a cost to democratic rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The oil industry\u2019s lobbying in Congress comes as they continue to fight climate deception lawsuits in court. The Supreme Court has already turned down five oil industry requests to intervene in the cases before they reach trial. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/exxons-next-supreme-court-play\">But a sixth petition<\/a> from ExxonMobil and Suncor in a lawsuit brought by Boulder, Colorado, is currently under consideration by the justices. Like many of the other lawsuits, Boulder\u2019s case seeks to recover damages from climate-fueled disasters, like Colorado\u2019s deadly and destructive Marshall Fire, and for adapting to extreme weather events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The oil industry has had a valuable ally in the Trump administration in its effort to defeat the cases. The Department of Justice supported the fossil fuel companies\u2019 petition for the Supreme Court to take Boulder\u2019s case. Trump previously issued an executive order ordering the Department of Justice to put an end to climate lawsuits, and the DOJ has since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/hawaii-will-not-be-deterred-from\">preemptively sued two state governments<\/a> that signaled their intent to bring climate deception cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Trump administration has also targeted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/these-bills-aim-to-make-polluters\">superfund legislation<\/a>, or state bills that would <a href=\"https:\/\/grist.org\/accountability\/climate-superfund-law-maryland-california-vermont-new-york-trump-lawsuits\/\">make oil companies pay into a fund<\/a> for climate adaptation and disaster recovery based on their respective levels of emissions over a set period of time. The DOJ is suing Vermont and New York over their superfund laws, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roi-nj.com\/2026\/01\/09\/industry\/energy-utilities\/climate-superfund-act-advanced-by-n-j-senate-budget-and-appropriations-committee\/\">similar laws<\/a> have been introduced in other states. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/news\/26102025\/trump-republicans-big-oil-climate-liability\/\">lobbying disclosures<\/a>, ConocoPhillips has pressured Congress on the superfund bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a keynote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.api.org\/-\/media\/Files\/news\/2026\/SOAE-2026-MJS-Keynote.pdf\">address<\/a>, API president and CEO Mike Sommers said that \u201cpunitive state proposals and extreme lawsuits would retroactively punish energy producers for meeting consumer demand.\u201d Sommers labeled those who challenge the industry or oppose the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/pressroom\/releases\/press577.php#:~:text=October%207%2C%202025-,EIA%20adjusts%20forecast%20for%20U.S.%20oil%20production%20as%20producers%20set,than%20EIA's%20previous%20production%20estimate.\">record-high production<\/a> of oil and gas as \u201cdenying facts, delaying progress, and ignoring the realities of rising demand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an interview with <em>ExxonKnews <\/em>last month, environmental law professor and senior fellow Pat Parenteau of Vermont Law School <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exxonknews.org\/p\/exxons-next-supreme-court-play\">asked<\/a>: \u201cIf these cases are as frivolous as the oil companies\u2019 briefs pretend, then why in the world are you busting your butt to get a declaration of immunity from Congress?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"truth-post-content-after\" id=\"truth-1168729226\"><div class=\"callout inline-callout p-4 mb-5 callout-- callout--white\" id=\"truth-334871\" data-callout-id=\"334871\" data-callout-theme=\"white\" data-callout-placement=\"Post Content - After\" data-callout-title=\"2026-01 Main Campaign (FRU) Trump is silencing political dissent. We appeal for your support.\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-start\">\n<h5 class=\"pb-2\" style=\"text-transform: uppercase; font-family: var(--bs-font-sans-serif); text-align: center;\">Trump is silencing political dissent. We appeal for your support.<\/h5>\n<p class=\"mb-3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump\u2019s crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>We\u2019re concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can only resist Trump\u2019s attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. At Truthout, we have you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Truthout has launched a fundraiser to raise $45,000 in the next 8 days. <\/strong>Please take a meaningful action in the fight against authoritarianism: make a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout. If you have the means, please dig deep.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m-0\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"#XEGQPXGY\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The American Petroleum Institute is named as a defendant in many cases that are moving forward toward trial. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":334946,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[91698],"tags":[6215,785,2718,801,865,282,3848],"section":[26],"primary_topic":[16],"series":[142934],"admin_tag":[],"class_list":["post-334945","to4_article_post","type-to4_article_post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-american-petroleum-institute","tag-big-oil","tag-climate-crisis","tag-fossil-fuels","tag-oil","tag-republicans","tag-trump-administration","section-environment-and-health","primary_topic-environment","series-covering-climate-now"],"acf":[],"related_articles":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/to4_article_post\/334945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/to4_article_post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/to4_article_post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334945"},{"taxonomy":"section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section?post=334945"},{"taxonomy":"primary_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/primary_topic?post=334945"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=334945"},{"taxonomy":"admin_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/truthout.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/admin_tag?post=334945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}