Washington governor and Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee doesn't rule out the possibility the 21 states in the United States Climate Alliance could become a separate nation.
Inslee spoke on the Ezra Klein Show podcast Monday about the states' commitment to the Paris Agreement.
"I led the creation of the United States Climate Alliance that now has 21 states that are committed to meeting the Paris agreements. And we did this, for one reason, [because] we wanted to show the rest of the world there is intelligent life in the United States. And we have succeeded because nobody has really followed Donald Trump," Inslee told Vox reporter Jane Coaston. "By the way this is a big deal. These 21 states, if we were a separate nation— and I'm not suggesting that at the moment—but if we were a separate nation, we would be the third largest economy in the world."
After President Donald Trump pulled out of the climate agreement, Inslee and other governors formed the United States Climate Alliance. The purpose of the group is to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement at the state level and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28 percent by 2025.
A majority of the governors involved in the coalition are Democrats, with the exception of two Republicans.
Inslee has launched a presidential campaign with a focus on climate change. While on the campaign trail, he warns humanity has "exactly one chance left to defeat climate change."
A new CNN poll shows Inslee polling at 1 percent in the Democratic primary.