Adding to the massive wave of outrage sparked by President Donald Trump’s “stupid and reckless” decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Thursday denounced the move as a “big gift to Republican donors” at the ‘Joyous Persistence’ rally in San Francisco.

In response to critics like Warren and countless others, White House officials and Trump allies have attempted to defend the withdrawal by characterizing it as part of a broader plan to protect American jobs and spur economic growth.

“This is really about big donors to the Republican party.”
—Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Warren, a leader of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party who is widely viewed as a potential 2020 presidential contender, forcefully dismissed this reasoning as a trope perpetuated in service of the donor class.

“[T]he Republicans have been framing this for a long time, jobs versus the environment,” she said. “It is not. This is really about big donors to the Republican party.”

For weeks, Trump was lobbied by a coalition consisting of, among others, his daughter Ivanka, Pope Francis, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, all of whom urged him to stick with the international community by firmly committing to the climate pact. In the end, however, it was the “big oil darlings” who won out, as the Guardian put it on Thursday.