In the wake of catastrophic flooding in Texas and South Carolina, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and members of Congress are further investigating the controversial issue of weather modification.
However, this isn't a new issue for Marla Maples. Maples, who is President's Trump former wife and a big supporter of the MAHA movement, partnered with other wellness advocates to found the Global Wellness Forum (GWF). Maple's outspoken support helped get Florida Senate Bill 56 passed last month, essentially banning the practice of weather modification in the state.
"Weather modification is the human attempt to control the skies — to alter natural weather patterns through aerosol sprays of various particulate matter such as aluminum, strontium, barium and other particulate matters," Maples explained. "Cloud seeding uses silver iodide to enhance precipitation and there’s also frequency-based technologies used."
Governor DeSantis signed Florida Senate Bill 56 on June 20, 2025. The new law took effect on July 1, making Florida the first state to criminalize weather modification and geoengineering.
The bill defines prohibited geoengineering and weather modification as "the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight."
Under this language, any release of chemical compounds that could affect the temperature, weather, climate, or intensity of sunlight is prohibited. Anyone convicted of weather modification or geoengineering in Florida can face up to five years in prison and $100,000 in violation fines. At least 24 states have introduced similar legislation, according to Fox News.
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The new law also "requires all 'public-use airports' to report on geoengineering and weather modification activities."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote an open letter to public-use airports on Monday informing operators of their responsibilities under the new legislation.
"Injecting our atmosphere with novel chemical compounds to block the sun is a dangerous path, especially in Florida, where sunshine is our most valuable resource," wrote Uthmeier. "Furthermore, as our hearts break for the victims of the flash floods in Texas, I can’t help but notice the possibility that weather modification could have played a role in this tragedy."
Not all lawmakers share Uthmeier's concerns. Texas Senator Ted Cruz told Fox reporters that "to the best of my knowledge, there is zero evidence of anything related to anything like weather modification."
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced two online resources designed to confront misinformation and confusion about weather modification.
"I tasked my team to compile everything we know about contrails and geoengineering to release to you now publicly," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in an X post. "I want you to know EVERYTHING I know about these topics, and without ANY exception."
Contrails are condensation trails that formed from plane transits, while geoengineering is a deliberate effort to alter the Earth's climate, such as through cloud seeding, according to the EPA. Some theories claim that contrails also have chemicals that deliberately alter the environment.
Marla Maples believes chronic diseases, agricultural threats, and Vitamin D deficiencies can be linked to geoengineering.
"These aren't the skies that I grew up with in my small hometown in Georgia, when the clouds were big and puffy and the skies were bright blue," said Maples. "For years, I've been observing high-altitude airplanes creating streaks of white across the sky that linger all day, spread out like fine feathers and white out the beautiful sun."
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