CNN Challenges Kamala Harris’s Evolving Stance on Fracking

CNN’s fact-checker Daniel Dale highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris's conflicting statements regarding fracking, noting her recent claim that she made it “clear” in 2020 that she would “not ban fracking as vice president.”

In her first interview as the Democratic nominee, CNN host Dana Bash questioned Harris on Thursday night about her evolving policy positions, specifically asking when she shifted her stance on fracking—a fossil fuel extraction method Harris had strongly opposed, backing a ban in the Green New Deal during her time in Congress in 2019.

Bash confronted Harris, saying: “In 2019 you said, quote: ‘There is no question. I’m in favor of banning fracking.’ Fracking, as you know, is a major issue, particularly in the critical state of Pennsylvania. Do you still want to ban fracking?”

Harris responded: “No. And I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking as vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking.”

Bash pressed further, reminding Harris: “In 2019, at a town hall, you were asked whether you would commit to implementing a federal fracking ban on your first day in office, and you said: ‘There’s no question. I’m in favor of banning fracking, so yes.’”

Harris reiterated that her position “changed in that campaign in 2020,” and she has since “made that very clear,” supporting fracking in 2024.

After the interview, Dale joined host Abby Phillip to fact-check Harris’s statements, saying that her claim was inaccurate.

“The bottom line is she did not actually make clear at a 2020 debate that she had changed her previous support for a fracking ban. Here’s how this unfolded: at a CNN climate town hall in 2019, she explicitly supported a fracking ban,” Dale explained.

Dale and CNN played a clip from 2019 where Harris said she was “in favor of banning fracking.”

Dale further noted: “She ended her 2020 presidential bid in December 2019. The only debate she participated in during 2020 was the vice-presidential debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence. I reviewed the debate transcript, and nowhere does she clearly state that she had reversed her stance on banning fracking; instead, she emphasized that Joe Biden, who led the ticket, would not ban fracking.”

CNN then showed a clip from that debate to support Dale’s point.

Dale added: “It’s logical that she was speaking on behalf of Biden at that time. The president, not the vice president, sets administration policy. However, it’s clear she did not explicitly say she had changed her personal position from 2019.”

This comes amid polling data showing that the ‘surge’ Harris experienced after President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election appears to be waning.

A recent poll from the Napolitan Institute released Friday shows Trump leading Harris, similar to the lead he had over Biden before Democrats shifted support to Harris.

“In the race for the White House, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris 46% to 45%. Including leaners, the Napolitan News survey of 3,000 Likely Voters puts Trump ahead 49% to 47%. Last week, both candidates were tied at 49% among Likely Voters,” the polling report noted.

“These findings suggest the initial Harris bounce is over, but the underlying dynamics of the race remain stable. Voters have strong opinions about Trump, while Harris remains relatively unknown. As such, key events like the Democratic convention and presidential debates may play an unusually significant role.”

The organization also noted that the presidential race is still too close to call, with past trends showing Trump outperforming his polling numbers in the previous two elections.

“Trump’s voters are slightly more motivated to turn out than Harris supporters, which benefits him in a lower turnout scenario. It’s feasible for either party to win control of the Presidency, Senate, and House. A key Senate race in Montana shows Democrat Jon Tester with a slight edge, but state political trends may favor Republican Tim Sheehy.”