Trump Fails To Stop Coal Job Bloodbath

The article "Trump Fails To Stop Coal Job Bloodbath" examines the decline of the US coal industry and coal mining jobs during Donald Trump’s presidency. Despite Trump’s repeated promises since 2015 to revive coal jobs and end what he called a "war on American Energy," coal employment and capacity continued to shrink throughout his terms. While Trump touted the rise of oil and natural gas production, coal was largely sidelined, with significant coal plant retirements occurring under his watch. Data from Carbon Brief highlights that coal capacity declined by about 57 gigawatts during Trump’s presidency, a larger annual proportional loss than under recent predecessors, despite a temporary 13% increase in coal power output in 2025 due to higher electricity demand. The article also notes that increases in coal power generation do not necessarily translate into more coal mining jobs, as mechanization and market conditions have long reduced employment in the sector. Between 2011 and 2021, coal mining jobs in the US fell by