Jim Inhofe's Death Announcement Sparks Conservative Backlash

Backlash spread on social media outlets Tuesday from conservative users upset about news organizations mentioning former Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe's stance on climate change in headlines announcing his death.

According to a statement released by Inhofe's family, the 89 year-old Republican died Tuesday morning after he had a stroke over the July 4 holiday. Inhofe, who was a part of Oklahoma's political landscape for more than 50 years, was elected to a fifth Senate term in 2020 and stepped down in early 2023 before his term was set to end on January 3, 2027.

During his tenure in politics, Inhofe openly rejected scientific research that said human activity contributed to changes in the Earth's climate, and he once called climate change "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people."

After the news of Inhofe's death circulated on media websites, some conservatives took to X, formerly Twitter, to denounce headlines that related the announcement of his passing with his views on climate change. Many people specifically took exception to headlines from Politico and The New York Times.

Billy Grant, a political director at Strategy Group, took aim at the Politico headline that read: "Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, who called climate change a 'hoax,' dead at 89."

"These people are just vile. Senator Inhofe was a great man who did so many good things for Oklahoma and the country," Grant wrote on X. "This is a downright disgrace and @politico should issue an apology immediately!!!"

Darin Miller, communications director for Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, called Politico's headline "highly offensive" in an X post.

The Spectator political reporter Matthew Folds wrote on X: "If you're a legendary Republican, Politico will dance on your grave when you die. RIP Jim Inhofe. Eventually Republicans will cut these outlets off."

A Politico spokesperson responded to Newsweek about the backlash, writing in an emailed statement, "Headlines are regularly A/B tested and switched on a rotation, based on a number of factors, including engagement."

At the time of this story's publication, Politico's headline announcing Inhofe's death was updated to read: "Sen. Jim Inhofe dead at 89." A subheadline read: "The Oklahoma Republican held enormous sway over environmental policy during his time in the Senate."

Meanwhile, The New York Times headline read: "James M. Inhofe, Senator Who Denied Climate Change, Dies at 89."

Lawyer Gregg Re, who has worked at conservative media outlets, was among those on X who took exception to the Times' headline.

"Both NYT and Politico have decided to mock dead senator James Inhofe for "denying climate change," Re posted. "Important to understand why they hate him: he pointed out that none of the 'catastrophes predicted by alarmists'—going back to the 70s—have come to pass."

Newsweek reached out to The New York Times via email on Tuesday for comment.

Along with the headline controversy, social media was also full of remembrances of the senator who began his political career after serving in the Army in the late 1950s. After beginning as a representative in the Oklahoma House in 1967, Inhofe became a state senator in 1969. From 1978 to 1984, he served as the mayor of Tulsa. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was a U.S. representative before becoming a senator.

Republican Representative Frank Lucas of Oklahoma called Inhofe the "true embodiment of a public servant" in a statement posted on X.

"His long career in the United States House and Senate serves as a testament to his strong moral compass and innate desire to better his home state," Lucas wrote, in part. "From being a larger-than-life advocate for Oklahoma's military installations to improving infrastructure across the state, Jim Inhofe has made an impact on Oklahomans that will be felt for generations."

"Jim Inhofe was a dedicated public servant, and his leadership as chairman of the Armed Services Committee was key to advancing our national defense," Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah wrote on X.

Romney added, "I'm grateful to have served alongside him in the Senate. Ann and I offer our prayers and condolences to his family and loved ones."