On Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris and former and potentially future President Donald Trump met for the ABC News debate. It was a particularly egregious display of media bias, especially because Harris wasn't pressed for follow-up on her false claims. The Trump campaign has been highlighting how it was a 3-1 debate, while also going after Harris on a major issue in particular: fracking.
Especially as the debate took place in a critical swing state of Pennsylvania, fracking is highly relevant. Linsey Davis appeared to give Harris the benefit of the doubt when it comes to whether the vice president really is against banning fracking or not.
"Vice President Harris, in your last run for president you said you wanted to ban fracking. Now you don't... I know you say that your values have not changed. So then why have so many of your policy positions changed," she asked as part of her question.
Just as she did during last month's interview with CNN, Harris laughably claimed that "my values have not changed," as she acknowledged the importance of being in Pennsylvania. "I made that very clear in 2020. I will not ban fracking." Trump quietly laughed.
KAMALA (flip-flopping again):
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 11, 2024
"I will not ban fracking!"
Trump's quiet laughter says it all. pic.twitter.com/9lHZ67Ytmg
In addition to the various posts about the 9/11 anniversary on Wednesday, the X accounts for the Trump campaign have been hammering Harris on the fracking point.
Following the debate, Trump called into Fox News to share his thoughts about that debate with Harris to remind that in "every clip she's against fracking," as he went on to bring up President Joe Biden and how "horribly" he's doing and how he had to be forced out of the race via a "palace coup" following the disastrous June 27 debate against Trump.
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"She comes out, and she does fracking," Trump continued about Harris. "So I say to the people of Pennsylvania, you know what you have with Trump and I'm with you," he added, reminding not only how he went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, but that he has friends there and is himself "a fracker."
Trump also spoke to the jobs and income resulting from fracking, warning "Pennsylvania would be devastated if [Harris] took that away. She will obviously take that away!" Trump also reminded how the Biden-Harris administration ended drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as well as the Keystone Pipeline XL.
Don't be fooled: Kamala Harris will BAN fracking —she has said it over and over again.
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024
President Trump will PROTECT American energy production! pic.twitter.com/qfYuli10Gx
This also includes a new ad, focusing on her claims about fracking as "one of Harris’ biggest lies that the ABC moderators let her get away with last night," and which the Trump War Room says is necessary because "the media won't hold [Harris] to account."
"Harris will ban all fracking," a narrator warns, as it shows footage from Harris at a CNN town hall when she ran for president in 2020, as she made clear that "there's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking" when taking a question.
The narrator also warns that such a move "puts tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians out of work and send[s] utility bills skyrocketing," as it plays that clip of Harris' remarks once more.
In contrast, the narrator declares that "Trump will protect clean energy fracking and protect the jobs it creates."
🚨 NEW AD 🚨
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024
Here’s a reminder of one of Harris’ biggest lies that the ABC moderators let her get away with last night.
Since the media won’t hold her to account, we will. pic.twitter.com/SOLHGDfhkp
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