Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) struggled to defend Vice President Kamala Harris late last week when asked why she has flipped-flopped on her stances on energy.
The moment came during an interview with Margaret Hoover on PBS News’ “Firing Line” when asked about why she has changed on everything from banning fracking to mandating electric vehicles.
“What I’d like to ask you, governor, is has she told you why she changed her position?” Hoover asked.
“We need to produce more energy in this country for our economy, for national security,” he said. “We’re producing more energy right now than ever before, and that’s something we should be proud of. I’m certainly proud of that as the governor of Pennsylvania, where we are a net energy exporter.”
While it is true that the U.S. is producing more energy now than ever before, the rate of new energy production has slowed under the Biden-Harris administration and has cost the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars in lost GDP.
“I think Kamala Harris’s views on this issue have changed and as I have said and you cited, I think it’s a sign of strength,” he claimed. “She listened to people. She evolved on the issue.”
Hoover pressed Shapiro to give a specific reason to explain why she was changing.
“We have not had a direct conversation about this issue in particular,” he said. “I think what is clear to me, this is my interpretation, is that she’s listened and she has seen the power that natural gas, the power that our energy sources domestically here in the United States have in strengthening our economy, in strengthening our national security, just as Joe Biden in ‘87 talked about.”
Hoover noted that the worry and concern from voters is that “she’s just changed for political reasons.”
“Whereas if there was a real clear national security rationale or reason that felt believable, that that would make it more believable,” she said.
Shapiro responded by saying: “Well look, I think that’s on the vice president to explain her rationale on this.”
WATCH:
PA Gov Josh Shapiro is asked why Kamala Harris flipped her energy positions
He tries to invent reasons why she changed her views, but when asked if there’s a “believable” reason she changed other than political expediency, he says that Harris has to explain herself@ElonMusk pic.twitter.com/SezKBUAlkT
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 20, 2024