CNN’s Erin Burnett says Kamala Harris has taken ‘very sharp turn’ in stance on Big Oil
CNN’s Erin Burnett on Tuesday said Vice President Kamala Harris has taken a “very sharp turn” on the campaign trail to an “extremely different” stance on the US oil industry.
Harris — who had touted an anti-fracking platform as a presidential hopeful four years ago — is now “pounding the table for the US oil industry and oil production,” the news anchor said during “Erin Burnett OutFront” on Tuesday.
But that is “not the way it always was,” Bur༺nett added.
The news network aired several back-to-back clips of Harris vowing to take on big oil during her 2020 presidential run – along with footage of her applauding𒁏 the same industry today.
“We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in his𓃲tory because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over-rely on foreign oil,” Harris boasted in a clip from a campaign st🐷op in Philadelphia last month.
Her vice-presidential pick, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, echoed her prai🔯se.
“America’s producing more natural gas a༒nd more oil than at any time in our history,” Walz said on Tuesday🌄.
Burnett said Walz’s cheers for the US oil industry fell in line with Harris’ celebrations – but she homed🅰 in on Harris’ 180-degree pivot.
“This is a very sharp ♊turn from where Harris once stood on thi💃s issue not so very long ago,” Burnett said.
Andre🔜w Kaczynski, founding member of CNN’s KFile investig♚ation team, backed Burnett.
“This really shows sort of just how far left that Kamaဣla Harris got in that 2019 Democratic primary when she was running with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren,” Kaczynski said. “She was making this extremely bold promise that she was goꦇing to take the US oil industry, possibly criminally prosecute them for their role in climate change.”
Kaczynski recounted how Harris had compared the oil industry to “Big Tobacco,” claiming oil companies knew they were speeding along the climate crisis🔴 and hid it from the public.
“I’m saying about these big oil companieꦉs and these fossil fuel companies, look, you should be really prepared to look at a serious fine or be charged for the crime,” Harris said in 2019, in a clip aired on CNN.
“Obviously, that is extremely different from what she is presenting right now,” Buಌrnett said.
This is not the first time Harris has backtra🍃cked on her promises, according to K❀acyznski.
Harris had claimed she was going to ban plastic 🐻straws, ban fracking and eliminate th🐈e filibuster to pass the Green New Deal, Kaczysnki said.
Harris seems to be changing her tune for two re🏅aso🦹ns, the reporter said.
Firstly, Harris has likely abandꦅoned her anti-oil stance because of the importance of fracking in Pennsylvania, according to Kaczynski.
Fracking is the primary method of gas extraction in Pennsylvania – a key swing state in the upcoming election. Both Harris and for𝔍mer president Donald Trump have spent a significant chunk of their time campaigning in the battleground state.
And secondly, Kaczynski said climate change is not at the top of voters’ minds ahead o🅘f the election and referenced a recent Gallup poll.
Only 21% of registered US vote🍌rs said climate change was an “extremely important” issue ahead of the election, placing it second to last on the list of issues,. The economy toppedꦺ the list.
