Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield claimed Sunday that the Democratic presidential nominee did not promise “to end the fossil fuel industry” during last week’s presidential debate.
“Look, as Joe Biden said on the debate stage, he is not going to end the fossil fuel industry, he’s going to end subsidies for the oil industry,” Bedingfield inaccurately claimed on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“He believes that your taxpayer dollars should go to education,” the spokeswoman continued. “Donald Trump believes that they should go to Exxon. That is a contrast and a conversation and that we’re willing to have any day.”
However, during Thursday night’s debate, Biden promised to “phase out” the oil industry after Trump asked him, “Would you close down the oil industry?” (RELATED: ‘Who Build The Cages, Joe?’: Trump Reminds Biden That Obama Administration Built Border Cages)
Biden responded: “I would transition from the oil industry, yes.”
Host Chuck Todd asked Bedingfield, “If you work in the oil industry, if you believe that fracking has been good for the economy … long-term Joe Biden doesn’t sound like a supporter of those industries, so why shouldn’t folks think, ‘You know what, Donald Trump’s going to be more supportive, not Joe Biden.’”
“Let’s be really clear about something, Chuck. There is only one person in this country who Joe Biden thinks should lose his job and it’s Donald Trump,” she responded, arguing that “Donald Trump is trying to distort Joe Biden’s position on this because he’s desperate to be running against anybody but Joe Biden.”
Bedingfield shifted the dialogue to promote Biden’s “aggressive climate change plan” that she said has been “endorsed by climate groups” as well as organized labor. (RELATED: Is Biden’s Climate Plan Another Version Of The Green New Deal? Here’s How The Two Stack Up)
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University on Oct. 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the last debate between the two candidates before the Nov. 3 election. (Photo by Jim Bourg-Pool/Getty Images)
“It’s a jobs plan,” she said. “People are not going to lose jobs under a Biden administration.”
During the final presidential debate, Biden also said he would not end fracking, an oil exploration process opposed by most environmentalists. He denied ever saying he opposed fracking even though he took that position during the Democratic presidential primaries.
Biden also revealed in the debate that he would offer “a pathway to citizenship for 11 million” illegal immigrants in the United States.