Vice President Kamala Harris’ top campaign climate adviser is walking back comments she made last week that Harris would not support an expansion of fossil fuel drilling as president.
“I didn’t explain myself clearly,” Camila Thorndike, Harris’ climate engagement director, said in a post on X Monday. “Contrary to Trump’s claims, the VP has not banned fracking, doesn’t support banning fracking, and in fact cast the tie-breaking vote on the biggest pro-climate law ever, which, yes, opened new fracking leases.”
The comments come after Thorndike said in an interview with Politico last week that the vice president would not “promote” new fossil fuel drilling, comments that raised eyebrows as Harris has tried to alleviate fears over her previous positions on fracking.
HARRIS WON’T SUPPORT EXPANDING FOSSIL FUEL DRILLING, CAMPAIGN SAYS
Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University on Oct. 13, 2024 in Greenville, North Carolina. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“Just to be clear, Vice President Harris hasn’t said anything that the administration hasn’t already said. She is not promoting expansion [of fossil fuel drilling]. She’s just said that they wouldn’t ban fracking,” Thorndike said.
Harris has faced continued pressure to clarify her stance on energy production over the last few months, most notably in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where support for fracking is high.
But Thorndike’s comments seemed to go against Harris’ new theme on the trail, which has included boasting that the “largest increase in domestic oil production in history” happened during her time as vice president.
Vice President and Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris walks out with former US representative Liz Cheney during a rally at Ripon College on Oct. 3, 2024 in Ripon, Wisconsin. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)
“We have had the largest increase in domestic oil production in history because of an approach that recognizes that we cannot over rely on foreign oil,” Harris said during a debate with former President Trump in Pennsylvania.
“I am proud that as vice president over the last four years, we have invested a trillion dollars in a clean energy economy while we have also increased domestic gas production to historic levels,” Harris said.
The campaign’s evolving position has drawn the scorn of proponents of fossil fuel production, with the U.S. Oil & Gas Association taking to social media after Thorndike’s initial comments and accusing the vice president of making a “change in her prior, prior, position.”
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at a watch party after a presidential debate with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 10, 2024. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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“So Harris’s new position in Oct is she now opposes fracking and no longer supports her position in July when she changed her position to support fracking, which was subsequently a change in her prior, prior position of June, which was to oppose fracking? Got it,” the organization said.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.