In the gas- and coal-rich Keystone State, former President Donald J. Trump held a rally in Johnstown on Aug. 30 to discuss energy policy. During the event, he accused Vice President Kamala Harris of wanting to end fracking, a practice opposed by the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations. Trump emphasized that without fracking, Pennsylvania would not thrive as a commonwealth.
Trump also criticized Harris for surrendering America’s energy independence and closing down the Keystone XL pipeline. This issue came up during Harris’s interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Aug. 29, where she spoke alongside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Bash pointed out that in 2019, Harris expressed support for banning fracking during a climate-focused town hall on CNN with other Democratic presidential candidates. She also mentioned her efforts to end fracking as California’s attorney general.
However, in her interview with Bash, Harris clarified that she did not seek to ban fracking as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020 or as vice president.
At the rally, Mark Caskey from Steel Nation—a company involved in building steel structures for oil and gas installations—spoke before Trump and portrayed Harris as inconsistent on fracking. Trump praised Caskey’s remarks and invited him back on stage.
Carla Sands also addressed the crowd at the rally and praised Pennsylvania’s natural gas sector for improving air quality by transitioning away from dirtier fuels.
Representative John Joyce (R-Pa.) discussed energy production in his state during his speech at the event.
Stephen Miller, an immigration hawk and longtime ally of Trump, delivered a speech emphasizing local themes related to Johnstown and Rust Belt communities.
The rally had a brief moment of chaos when an unidentified man jumped over a barrier surrounding the press pen but was quickly apprehended by security personnel.
Trump used this rally to highlight his stance on energy policy while accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of being inconsistent regarding her position on fracking.