BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Vice President Kamala Harris’ inconsistent position on a hydraulic fracking ban is threatening to undermine her electability in oil-rich Pennsylvania.
“There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking,” the then-presidential candidate told a climate activist at a CNN town hall in 2019.
Senate candidate Dave McCormick and other Pennsylvania Republicans have been quick to highlight what such a ban would mean for the Keystone State as Harris attempts to change course on the issue.
“The Biden-Harris-[Sen. Bob] Casey energy agenda has essentially been to stop fossil fuels, and transition from lithium batteries and solar panels from China,” McCormick said on “Fox and Friends” Friday, adding: “It truly is out of step [with] where most Pennsylvanians are.”
A McCormick campaign ad released last week featured similar attacks on Harris’ energy record, including her support for the Green New Deal — a series of progressive policy initiatives designed to phase out fossil fuels in America.
Donald Trump Jr. and Ric Grenell are among other high-profile Republicans slamming Harris on X last week for her position on fracking.
“Kamala Harris is even more extreme than Joe Biden – She wants to ban fracking and kill countless jobs in states like PA for American workers,” Trump Jr. wrote.
“Dear Pennsylvania… take it from this Californian, don’t let Kamala Harris anywhere near your energy sources,” wrote former Director of National Intelligence Grenell.
Perhaps such attacks are driving the Harris campaign’s recent shift on the issue?
As of this weekend, Harris’ campaign claims she no longer supports a fracking ban, with a Harris campaign spokesperson telling The Hill that Donald Trump’s energy policies would “enrich oil and gas executives at the expense of the middle class.”
Trump had criticized Harris’ support for a fracking ban at his North Carolina rally last Wednesday.
Back on the left, Pennsylvania Democrat Conor Lamb — a once-promising young congressman who lost to John Fetterman in the 2022 Senate primary — praised the Harris’ pivot.
“A good leader learns in public and isn’t afraid to admit when they change their mind,” Lamb tweeted Monday morning.
With Trump set to rally in Pennsylvania’s capital this Wednesday, the former prez is likely to push the issue.
Recent polls show Harris gaining on Trump nationally when compared to outgoing President Joe Biden, though Trump maintains a narrow lead across most swing states.
