Trump pounced on that gaffe immediately.
Because he knows it’s a political third rail, Joe Biden tried to duck the fracking question. Any answer he might give will alienate some part of his party.
If he comes out in support of Fracking, the single-issue environmentalist voters will drag him as a sellout who wants to see the world burn.
If he comes out AGAINST fracking, the many people who have excellent work in the energy sector will take that as a personal attack against their livelihood. A number of swing states have energy as a significant part of their economy.
There IS no right answer for a Democrat, so Biden tried to duck the question and split the difference. Did it work?
Not exactly.
“We’re going to have the greatest economy in the world,” Trump said. “But if you want to kill the economy, get rid of your oil industry. And what about fracking? Now we have to ask him about fracking.”
“I have never said I oppose fracking,” Biden claimed.
“You said it on tape,” Trump fired back.
“I—show the tape, put it on your website,” Biden yelled. “The fact of the matter is he’s flat lying.”
Within a matter of moments, Trump’s team tweeted out a video from Trump’s personal Twitter account of Biden making the remarks. —DailyWire
He later went on to say that he would end fracking ‘on public land’.
But if he had anyone convinced with that do se do, it was short-lived.
Anything he had to say about fracking was soon dwarfed about what he said about the entire energy sector.
During Thursday night’s presidential debate, former Vice President Joe Biden stepped onto a political landmine that will certainly cost him with working class Americans when he pledged to “transition” from the oil industry throughout his administration.
“Would he close down the oil industry?” Trump asked. “Would you close down the oil industry?”
“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” Biden responded.
“That’s a big statement,” Trump shot back.
The Governor of Texas would agree that, yes, it IS a ‘big statement’.
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.
Remember that on election day..#Debates2020 #DebateTonight https://t.co/o6GaPCNQNE
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 23, 2020
President Trump responds to Former VP Biden saying he would transition away from the oil industry:
"Will you remember that Texas? Will you remember that Pennsylvania? Oklahoma?"
— Jenn Franco KESQ (@jennfranconews) October 23, 2020
As a side note? We would point out that if Biden denies something, calls Trump a liar for saying it, and then Trump is proven correct?
By definition that PROVES Biden is the liar.
And yes, there’s tape. Trump’s team already put it online.
Here you go @JoeBiden! pic.twitter.com/UBqPJT85Pt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2020
Your move, Joe!
