Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) repeatedly refused to answer questions during an interview over the weekend about why he and Vice President Kamala Harris have flip-flopped on the issue of fracking.
Fetterman struggled to dodge the questions that he faced during a Sunday interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” with Kristen Welker ahead of November’s elections.
“Vice President Harris, as you know, once supported a ban on fracking when she was running for president in 2020,” Welker said. “She even sued the Obama administration to prevent fracking off California’s coast. Now, she says she will not ban the practice as President.”
“Why should voters trust that that is really what the Vice President believes?” Welker asked.
Fetterman responded: “So strange why we just keep talking about fracking. Now, back in 2020 I said that that might be an issue, but it’s not going to be a defining issue. And now, in 2024 we’re still trying to talk about fracking. And now the other side, they’re talking about eating cats, and geese, and dogs, and saying absurd things, and talking about how, if Trump doesn’t win he said that, you know, you’d have to blame the Jews on that. And just absurd things. Now, like, having a serious policy conversation when the other side is just absolutely on fire. And here’s where we are, and here we are also, that it’s going to be very close in Pennsylvania, and it’s not going to be defined by fracking.”
Welker then highlighted some of Fetterman’s past anti-fracking remarks in 2016 and 2018 when he called it a “stain” on the state and said that he did not support it at all.
“But then in 2022, you said you absolutely support fracking,” she said. “Senator, what exactly do you like about fracking now?”
Fetterman responded: “It’s strange for some weird ‘gotcha,’ kind of taking quotes out of context. And you know, here I am now, I’m a United States Senator, and I won by five points, a record margin back in ’22. And again, it might be an issue in fracking. And I fully support fracking. So does the Vice President Harris. And now if you want to have a serious conversation about policy, then I would challenge Trump and Vance to have one, other than talking about eating pets.”
Welker again pressed Fetterman about why he flipped on the issue to which he only responded: “Uh-oh. ‘They’re eating dogs, they’re eating cats.’ You know, again, so okay. Yes, any more on fracking? I think –”
WATCH:
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
