Vice President Kamala Harris argued this week that an ad showing a clip of her previous speech on fracking was misleading and “intended to make people fear my presidency.”
CBS Pittsburgh’s Jon Delano spoke with Harris in an interview Tuesday, challenging him to clarify his changing position on fracking, one of several key issues he has been accused of sidestepping for political gain.
“I wanted to ask you, there’s a political ad on TV from the 2019 climate hall town meeting that you had, where you said, ‘There’s no question I agree with preventing fraud,’ don’t quote,” the narrator said. “The ad says if you’re elected president you’re going to shut down fracking and you’re going to cost Pennsylvania over 300,000 jobs. Have you changed your mind about fracking, and if so, why?”
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KDKA-TV’s Jon Delano spoke with Harris in an exclusive interview, challenging him to clarify his stance on fracking.
“So let me start by saying that that ad, as you described it, is a lie, which I think is intended to make people fear my presidency,” said Harris.
“Let me be clear, as I was when I said it in 2020, I will not prohibit fracking. I did not as vice president. In fact, I voted to secede to open more fracking leases,” he added, referring to his role as vice president in getting the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. through the defunct Senate.
In 2020, Harris was asked about fraud during his Vice Presidential debate with Mike Pence, but did not reveal his stated turn in 2019 to oppose fraud, instead simply saying that Biden would not prohibit fraud as president.
“Joe Biden is not going to stop fraud. He’s made that clear,” Harris said.
“I’ll say it again, the American people know that Joe Biden will not stop fraud. That’s the truth. That’s the truth,” he added during another part of the debate.
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Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks at the Cochise College Douglas Campus in Douglas, Ariz., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
On Tuesday, Harris said, “My view on this is based on a number of factors, including that we don’t need to prevent fraud to do the work we can do to reinvest in a clean energy economy.”
He then made many promises to the American electorate.
“I’m going to bring jobs back to rural communities. I’m going to make sure that we’re investing in those communities that have done the kind of work that you have in mind when you’re talking about Pittsburgh, when you’re talking about Grand. Pennsylvania,” he said. “And I’m going to continue to do that work.”
“That’s where I stand, period. As President of the United States, I will not stop fraud,” Harris said.
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Fox News’ Aubrie Spady and Emma Colton contributed to this report.