Badlands National Park’s Viral Tweets on Climate Change Just Disappeared

Did the Trump administration crack down?

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gianinal/6012284801/in/photolist-aahwNM-aajTdJ-8f55tb-6yrDmy-8fjXqC-aakoTL-8fjXsm-aakopy-8fdYyK-aaks9h-8f5rRN-aakz7y-aajKKA-cihP5w-aahsTe-aahcK2-6VbAow-aajRoj-xGUbiL-aakbbs-aahKRv-aahqsv-aakg4y-aak1Uy-6VbA7y-cESMcu-oBDsDt-5dGLx1-WF5Kq-4LjNcV-ptNktU-ptPzEa-oBCQCU-pckyos-WBR2p-WEZj3-nZeMVz-WBShM-WBWL6-WF4VA-4Lp1KG-cESJJs-cESHwd-WEY5d-WF6gC-4JEnJH-5dGLuj-WF4iA-4JJCML-pcjX1q">Gianina Lindsey</a>/Flickr

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


On Tuesday morning, the official Badlands National Park Twitter account started talking about climate change:

Because President Donald Trump has previously said climate change is a Chinese hoax, and because the administration has, apparently, banned Environmental Protection Agency employees from talking about anything, and because the main National Park Service Twitter account was recently censored by the White House for (gently!) mocking Trump’s small inauguration crowd size, Badlands’ tweetstorm quickly went viral.

But four hours after the first one went out, the four tweets about climate change were deleted.

What happened? It’s unclear. The park didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the deleted tweets are unusual because Badlands tweets about climate change all the time. The park’s hyperactive social-media account, like the digital imprints of a lot of parks and agencies, really wants the world to know what global warming is doing to its patch of South Dakota:

And:

And:

And my favorite:

Tweeting about climate change wasn’t out of character. It might not have had anything to do with Trump. But deleting those tweets? That’s kind of unusual.

Update: DNC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson has now weighed in on the missing tweets, emailing reporters, “Vladimir Putin would be proud.”

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...

Trump is clamping down on the media—using lawsuits, lies, intimidation, and a thuggish Federal Communications Commission. Corporate media are caving, but Mother Jones won’t back down. To help us stand strong, a generous board member has chipped in a $50,000 digital matching gift. Help us make the most of it before the deadline!

Until midnight TONIGHT, every contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

We have nearly 50 years of experience standing up to bullies. Government intimidation, nuisance lawsuits, threats to our nonprofit status—we’ve seen it all. Yet because we’re supported by a community of readers like you, we’re still here and still reporting like hell. Please stand with us. Every dollar you give will go twice as far.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY...

Trump is clamping down on the media—using lawsuits, lies, intimidation, and a thuggish Federal Communications Commission. Corporate media are caving, but Mother Jones won’t back down. To help us stand strong, a generous board member has chipped in a $50,000 digital matching gift. Help us make the most of it before the deadline!

Until midnight TONIGHT, every contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

We have nearly 50 years of experience standing up to bullies. Government intimidation, nuisance lawsuits, threats to our nonprofit status—we’ve seen it all. Yet because we’re supported by a community of readers like you, we’re still here and still reporting like hell. Please stand with us. Every dollar you give will go twice as far.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate