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CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale called out Vice President Kamala Harris for saying that she made it “clear” as early as 2020 that she would “not ban fracking as vice president.”
CNN host Dana Bash asked Harris about her changing policies throughout her career in her first interview since becoming the Democratic nominee. Harris was asked about when she changed her mind about fracking as a way to get fossil fuels, after strongly supporting a ban through the Green New Deal when she was in Congress in 2019.
Bash asked Harris: “In 2019 you said, quote: ‘There is no question. I’m in favor of banning fracking.’ Fracking, as you know, is a pretty big issue, particularly in your must-win state of Pennsylvania. Do you still want to ban fracking?”
Harris replied: “No. And I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking as vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president I will not ban fracking.”
Bash pressed the question again: “In 2019, I believe in a town hall, you were asked, would you commit to implementing a federal ban on fracking on your first day in office and you said: ‘There’s no question. I’m in favor of banning fracking, so yes.’”
Harris repeated that her stance “changed in that campaign in 2020” and that she “made that very”clear”—remaining in support of fracking in 2024.
Following the interview, Dale spoke with host Abby Phillip to tell her that the claim was not correct.
“The fact check bottom line is that she did not actually make clear at a 2020 debate that she had changed her previous support for a fracking ban. So let me take you through this kind of saga so here’s what she said at a CNN climate town hall in 2019 on the subject of a fracking ban,” Dale said.
Dale and CNN then aired a clip of Harris from 2019, where she said “there was no question” she was “in favor of banning fracking.”
Dale added: “So, she ended her 2020 presidential run in December 2019. The only debate she participated in in 2020 was the general election debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence. And I went over the transcript of that debate tonight. Nowhere in there does she make clear that she had abandoned her previous support for a fracking ban; rather, she repeated that Joe Biden, the head of the democratic ticket at the time, would himself not ban fracking.”
The fact-checker then ran back a clip from the debate confirming his point.
He added: “So, it makes perfect sense that at the time she was speaking on behalf of Biden. The president, not the vice president, sets administration policy, but maybe other people feel differently. I certainly did not hear anywhere in there Kamala Harris saying that she personally had abandoned her previously expressed 2019 view, rather again, she was speaking for Joe Biden all right.”
WATCH:
CNN fact-checks Kamala Harris for lying about switching her view on fracking.
pic.twitter.com/hloDdan7eT— Kacee Allen (@KaceeRAllen) August 30, 2024
This comes as a series of new polls indicate that the ‘surge’ Harris received after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid last month is ending.
According to a recent poll by the Napolitan Institute, Trump is once again leading, similar to the lead he held over Biden before the Democrats redirected their support to Harris.
“In the race for the White House, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris 46% to 45%. When leaners are included, the Napolitan News survey of 3,000 Likely Voters shows Trump ahead 49% to 47%. A week ago, the candidates were tied at 49% among Likely Voters,” the polling organization noted in a report on its findings.