In an interview with the New York Times, Trump acknowledged a connection between human activity and global warming, contradicting his previous claims that climate change was a hoax. A source from Trump's transition team stated that he was exploring ways to withdraw the US from the 2015 Paris Agreement, but when asked recently, Trump stated he was assessing the situation with an open mind. If the US were to withdraw from the agreement, it would hinder global efforts to combat rising temperatures and the associated consequences such as animal extinctions, heat waves, floods, and rising sea levels. Trump, who will begin his term on Jan 20, expressed concerns about climate change and American competitiveness in a recent interview. According to a tweet by a Times reporter, he mentioned the potential cost to companies. Two advisors on Trump's transition team for energy and environment were surprised by his comments. This shift in attitude towards global warming indicates that Trump may be moving away from some of his campaign promises as he prepares for his presidency. He also suggested the possibility of building a fence instead of a wall in certain areas along the US-Mexican border to address illegal immigration. Additionally, he displayed reluctance towards pursuing investigations against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, during the interview on Tuesday. "I don't want to harm the Clintons, I truly don't. She has gone through a lot and suffered greatly in various ways," he stated to reporters, editors, and other newspaper officials at the Times headquarters in Manhattan. However, when asked if he would consider investigating Clinton for her family's charitable foundation or her use of a private email server while she was the US secretary of state under President Barack Obama's first term, Trump responded with a "no." If Trump does decide to break his campaign promise of appointing a special prosecutor for Clinton, it would be a reversal of his stance that he frequently mentioned during his campaign, where he referred to his opponent as "Crooked Hillary" and his supporters would chant "Lock her up." His remarks about Clinton to the Times upset some of his most ardent conservative backers. Breitbart News, previously led by Steve Bannon, reported on Tuesday that President Trump has decided not to pursue charges against Hillary Clinton for her email practices. The FBI found her actions careless but did not recommend charges. The Clinton Foundation has also been scrutinized for its donations, with no evidence of favors being granted to foreign donors while Clinton was Secretary of State. President Trump, a businessman with no prior political experience, dismissed concerns about conflicts of interest between his presidency and his family's businesses, stating that the law is on his side and that he cannot have a conflict of interest as president. Trump stated that his company is not important to him in comparison to his current responsibilities. While conflict-of-interest rules do not apply to the president, he will still be held accountable by bribery laws, disclosure requirements, and the US Constitution's prohibition on accepting gifts from foreign governments. Ethics lawyers from both Republican and Democratic backgrounds emphasize that the president is not exempt from the law. Richard Painter, who served under President George W. Bush, questioned whether the government should be run with the president simply trying to meet the minimum requirements. Norman Eisen, a former ethics lawyer in Obama's administration, echoed these concerns. Ivanka Trump, a businesswoman, participated in a phone call between her father, President Trump, and Argentine President Mauricio Macri, as well as attended a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, sparking concerns about potential conflicts of interest. President Trump expressed confidence that House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans in Congress would support his trillion-dollar infrastructure plan, stating that they were highly supportive of him. Since winning the election on Nov 8, Trump has been interviewing candidates for key positions in his administration, including offering former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson the role of secretary of housing and urban development, according to Carson's spokesman Armstrong Williams. Carson, a former surgeon who had a meeting with Trump on Tuesday, will consider the matter during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Williams. Trump arrived in Florida on Tuesday night to celebrate the holiday on Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.