Joe Biden said he wants to “transition” away from oil and have all industries at “net zero emissions” by 2035. He also claimed he’s never said he would ban fracking, despite video evidence of him saying just that.
“Would he close down the oil industry?” President Donald Trump asked of Biden at Thursday’s presidential debate. “Would you close down the oil industry?”
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” Biden admitted, a statement Trump called “big” and critics latched onto on social media, taking it as an admission he would destroy an industry vitally important to the economies of many states.
The former vice president said he would end federal subsidies to the oil industry and focus them more on renewable energy, which he wants the country completely reliant on “over time.”
Joe Biden says he will “transition from the oil industry” pic.twitter.com/0TgtYhhLEZ
“Will you remember that Texas? Will you remember that Pennsylvania? Oklahoma?” Trump said of Biden’s plan.
Biden’s timetable raised concern as he first said he would want to move on from the oil industry by 2025, five years sooner than the goal set in the Green New Deal, arguably the most extreme and ambitious piece of climate legislation introduced by Democrats. He later clarified that 2035 was his deadline.
Biden has alternatively said he would get the U.S. to “zero emissions” by 2025, and then 2035.
Biden, I assume, meant 2035 not 2025 there for clean electricity
Biden has faced a lot of scrutiny when it comes to his views on the oil industry. He denied once again at Thursday’s debate that he has ever said he is for banning fracking, despite multiple videos of him during the primaries saying just that. Edited clips of those moments were tweeted out by the president on Thursday night.
Here you go @JoeBiden! pic.twitter.com/UBqPJT85Pt
As per your request, Joe… https://t.co/78mzcfLEsFpic.twitter.com/AalVkSfHFi
Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) responded to Trump’s tweet and warned Biden that his state and others are “watching” and accused Biden of lying about his position on fracking.
“I don’t know why @JoeBiden thinks he can continue to lie about this. He wants to ban fracking and end all fossil fuels like coal too. Kentucky is watching, and so are many other states,” the senator tweeted.
I don’t know why @JoeBiden thinks he can continue to lie about this. He wants to ban fracking and end all fossil fuels like coal too. Kentucky is watching, and so are many other states. #Debate2020https://t.co/qdshgBd3jf
Critics leapt on Biden’s comments on oil, accusing him of wanting to “kill” the industry, with some predicting he could very well have made a “huge error” and lost potential support in certain states for his campaign.
“His far left plan slipped out. Massive error by Joe,” conservative pundit Robby Starbuck tweeted.
Joe Biden just said he would transition from the oil industry. That means kill the oil industry. The moderator’s response “why would you do that?” was hilarious. She sounded confused why he would do this to his campaign. His far left plan slipped out. Massive error by Joe.
“I’m going to end the oil industry.” – Joe Biden. Hello, Pennsylvania? Hello, Texas?
“Biden wants to ‘transition’ away from the oil industry. He just killed paycheck earned by hardworking families in Texas. Joe just wants to transition away from Texas,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted, telling his state’s residents to “remember” Biden’s words on election day.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made a similar statement, predicting Biden “lost Pennsylvania tonight,” the state the former vice president was born in, with his words on the oil industry.
When you get Joe Biden to say he wants to end the oil industry. pic.twitter.com/MoYNeg6bAA
Biden is going to turn Hunter over the FBI tomorrow to get the news off saying he’s ending the oil industry.
Some huge Biden errors. Saying he’d shut down the oil industry cost him Pennsylvania, Texas and other states. Lying that he wasn’t against fracking will be played with videos where he was. He created a lot of Trump campaign commercials #Debates2020#Debate2020#debate
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