Democratic nominee Joe Biden lied about his past remarks on fracking during a rally in Pennsylvania on Monday, falsely claiming he never opposed it.
“By the way, no matter how many times Trump tries to lie about it, I will not ban fracking. Never said I would,” Biden said at the campaign stop in Pittsburgh on Election Day Eve.
But the former veep has repeatedly stated publicly that his administration would cut subsidies for the fracking and eliminate all new projects that involve fracking, the process of forcing high-pressure water deep underground to extract oil or natural gas, citing climate change concerns.
The issue has become a central element of the 2020 race thanks to swing regions like the Keystone State where a large natural gas industry supports thousands of jobs.
In recent weeks, Biden and running mate Kamala Harris have shifted their stance in a bid to woo blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania — much to the chagrin of Green New Deal-backer, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D. NY).
However, when asked by a New Hampshire voter about stopping fracking in January, Joe Biden replied, “Yes.”
At the Democratic debate in July, the former veep said “we would make sure it’s eliminated” when asked if there was any place for fossil fuels including coal and fracking in a Biden administration.
At the final debate between Biden and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I. Vt) in March, he again said there would be “no new fracking.”
Trump, a vociferous supporter of fracking, sought to pin his opponent to the mat on the issue at their final presidential debate.
“You said it on tape,” Trump told the Nashville audience while also pushing Biden on his stance on the oil industry which led to Biden’s admission that he wanted the US to “transition” from oil if he were elected.
The commander-in-chief has also played up the issue at his rallies in the Keystone State, telling supporters that he was “all for fracking”