The Biden administration has removed Trump-appointed atmospheric scientist Betsy Weatherhead from her role overseeing the government's "definitive report on the effects of climate change," the Washington Post first reported Monday.
Why it matters: While Weatherhead has not been fired — merely reassigned to the U.S. Geological Survey — the move represents an effort by the Biden administration to remove Trump-era appointees from scientific roles, per CNN.
The big picture: Weatherhead's original appointment to the position came as a surprise given that she is considered to be a "mainstream" climate scientist who believes that climate change is a serious threat — unlike some other Trump-appointees, according to WashPost.
- However, Weatherhead did allegedly clash with some of the other officials involved about the "direction of the report," per the Post.
- The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
