Staff Reports
A coalition of conservative energy and policy groups recently sent a blunt letter to President Trump asking the administration to use federal contracting power to stop Big Tech from taking part in COP31. The letter singles out Apple, Amazon, and Google and argues that companies with national-security contracts should not be cozying up to the U.N. climate circus in Antalya while America focuses on energy and economic strength.
Coalition demands: block federal contractors from COP31
The groups behind the letter — including free-market and energy-focused organizations — want the White House to tell federal contractors with national-security obligations to steer clear of COP31. Their core claim is simple: if a company gets sensitive government work, it should not be allowed to promote an international agenda that the signers say undermines U.S. energy and industrial security. Steve Milloy and other spokesmen publicized the ask and called out Apple, Amazon, and Google by name. The move lands against the backdrop of the Trump administration not sending an official U.S. delegation to the climate talks this week.
Why this matters: national security, China ties, and energy policy
This is not just an argument about carbon or virtue-signaling. It’s about national security and reliable energy. Big Tech runs huge data centers and AI operations that need stable power and real-world infrastructure. Many of these companies also have deep business ties to China and other geopolitical rivals. The letter’s authors argue that U.S. policy and federal contracting leverage should protect American industry and national security from corporate actions that, in their view, tip the scales toward foreign competitors and unreliable energy agendas.
Legal questions, real leverage — and a political test for the White House
Yes, there are legal and constitutional questions here. Can the government bar contractors from attending an international conference? First Amendment and contract law issues will be raised. But procurement rules and national-security clauses give the administration real tools it can use right now if it chooses. President Trump faces a choice: let private corporations set global-posture signals at COP31, or use the leverage of federal contracting to insist on American priorities. If he acts, it won’t be polite — it will be necessary.
Bottom line: put America first, not corporate photo ops
The president promised an America-first energy and security policy. This letter hands him a clear test and a practical lever. He can demand transparency from companies about who is representing them at COP31, enforce contract terms, and make sure national-security obligations are honored. If Big Tech wants to play diplomat with authoritarian regimes while the U.S. pays the bills for defense and power, that’s a problem Congress and the White House should solve fast. For once, let procurement policy do more than buy laptops — let it protect American industry and common sense.
