Democratic strategist David Axelrod is worried the issue of climate change has become a part of "culture wars."

"My concern is that this issue, like so many issues, has been now fitted into sort of the culture wars and that there is within the Republican Party still, this element that, you know, post-pandemic is sort of anti-science, anti-experts, anti-bureaucrats telling people what to do, and react to climate, the climate issue, in that context," Axelrod said during a panel on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.

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Axelrod's comments come after a recent CNN poll found that a majority of adult Americans, 73%, believe the federal government should develop climate policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Of the respondents, 76% of independents and 50% of Republicans said they agree.

However, Axelrod, a former adviser to former President Barack Obama, said that there is still "a great gulf between Republicans and Democrats on the urgency" of climate change.

"I've watched all these debates, and I've not heard one candidate sort of proactively say this is an issue that really threatens us, and we have to do something about it," Axelrod said, referring to the Republican primary debates.

During the panel, former Republican Utah Rep. Mia Love said climate change has become an important issue for GOP members ages 18 to 39, but the conversation would gain more support from Republicans if people stopped presenting the "false choice" that it's either energy production or the environment.

Axelrod acknowledged that changing the way climate change is discussed could turn more Republicans in favor of addressing the issue but claimed that there are other roadblocks to overcome, as well.

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"There's no doubt that if it's not a zero-sum game kind of debate where we're going to do climate action and that's going to cost you your job, that will go over better," Axelrod said.

"But there's also the reality that lobbyists for the oil and gas industry just overwhelm the opposition in Congress, and it's like by 27 to 1, and that's been a reality for a long time," the strategist added.