Harris Was Not Accurate on Fracking Comments

CNN's Daniel Dale said on Thursday's “Newsnight” that Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris' comments about fracking in an interview with anchor Dana Bash were inaccurate.

“The conclusion of the fact check is that she did not actually disclose during the 2020 debates that she had changed her previous support for a fracking ban,” Dale said. “So, here's what this whole fracking thing was about: Here's what she said about a fracking ban at a CNN climate town hall in 2019.”

During a 2019 town hall, an audience member asked, “On your first day in office, will you commit to implementing a federal ban on fracking, adding to the list of countries, including the United States, that have banned this destructive practice?”

“There's no question that I support a ban on fracking,” Harris said.

“That was so clear that she dropped out of the 2020 presidential bid in December 2019. The only debate she participated in in 2020 was the general election debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence. I reviewed the transcript of that debate tonight, and nowhere did she explicitly say that she abandoned her previous support for a fracking ban. Rather, she reiterated that Joe Biden, who was the leading Democratic candidate at the time, himself would not ban fracking. Listen to what she actually said in her 2020 speech,” Dale said.

During the 2020 vice presidential debate, Harris said, “Joe Biden will not ban fracking. He has been very clear on that. I repeat, the American people now know: Joe Biden will not ban fracking.”

Dale said, “It makes perfect sense that she was speaking on behalf of Biden at the time. The president, not the vice president, sets policy for the administration, but others may have different opinions. I have certainly never heard Kamala Harris say that she personally abandoned her 2019 views; rather, she was speaking on behalf of Joe Biden.”

Follow Pam Key on X Follow