Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) repeatedly sidestepped questions about his and Vice President Kamala Harris’ shifting positions on fracking during a weekend interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” with Kristen Welker. The interview comes at a critical time as voters prepare for the upcoming elections, and the issue of fracking, particularly in Pennsylvania, remains a point of contention.
Welker opened the discussion by pointing out Harris’ change of stance. “Vice President Harris, as you know, once supported a ban on fracking when she was running for president in 2020. She even sued the Obama administration to prevent fracking off California’s coast. Now, she says she will not ban the practice as President,” Welker said. “Why should voters trust that this is really what the Vice President believes?”
Fetterman, instead of directly addressing the question, appeared eager to deflect, saying, “It’s strange why we just keep talking about fracking. Back in 2020, I said it might be an issue, but it wasn’t going to define everything. And now in 2024, we’re still on this. Meanwhile, the other side is talking about things like eating cats and dogs, and Trump is making absurd remarks about blaming Jews if he loses. It’s hard to have a serious policy conversation when the other side is just completely off the rails.”
Despite Fetterman’s attempt to change the subject, Welker pressed him further, highlighting his own past anti-fracking statements. In 2016 and 2018, Fetterman had called fracking a “stain” on Pennsylvania and said he didn’t support the practice at all. But by 2022, during his Senate campaign, Fetterman had flipped his position, claiming to “absolutely support fracking.”
“Senator, what exactly do you like about fracking now?” Welker asked.
Fetterman, rather than providing a clear explanation for his reversal, dismissed the question as a “gotcha” moment. “It’s strange, this attempt to take quotes out of context,” he said. “I’m a United States Senator now, and I won by five points, a record margin in 2022. Fracking might still be an issue, and I fully support it. So does Vice President Harris. If we want to have a real policy discussion, then let’s challenge Trump and Vance to talk about something serious, rather than their nonsense about eating pets.”
Welker, however, was not satisfied with the vague response and pressed him again on the apparent flip-flop. Fetterman responded with a mix of humor and deflection, saying, “Uh-oh, ‘they’re eating dogs, they’re eating cats.’ You know, okay, sure, more on fracking? I think we’re done here.”
Fetterman’s repeated refusal to directly explain his change of stance left the issue unresolved. His attempts to deflect and shift the conversation toward unrelated remarks made by his Republican opponents underscored the discomfort surrounding the fracking debate, which continues to polarize voters in Pennsylvania. While Fetterman’s approach may have shielded him from further scrutiny in the moment, his lack of a clear answer on the topic raises questions about the consistency of his position on a key issue for the state’s energy industry and its voters.
Fetterman is a top Harris surrogate in Pennsylvania and he was asked 3 TIMES why he’s made the same shift on fracking that Harris has.
And 3 times he REFUSED to answer.
Harris won’t answer and her surrogates won’t answer because they’re lying.pic.twitter.com/ge7VuRxUHU
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) September 22, 2024