Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) struggled to answer during a debate Tuesday night why he has changed his views on fracking, a hot button issue in the state.
Fetterman has faced scrutiny over his fitness for office after he suffered a stroke earlier this year and has demonstrated that he sometimes struggles to understand words and has difficulty speaking and often needs conversations transcribed for him just to understand what is being said.
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“You have made two conflicting statements regarding fracking,” the moderator said. “In a 2018 interview, you said quote, ‘I don’t support fracking at all. I never have.’ But earlier this month, you told an interviewer, quote, ‘I support fracking. I support the energy independence that we should have here in the United States.’”
The moderator then asked Fetterman to explain his sudden change in position.
“I, I, I’ve always supported fracking,” Fetterman claimed. “And I always believe that independence with our energy is, is critical. And we can’t be held, you know, ransom to somebody like Russia. You know, I’ve always believed that energy independence is critical. And I’ve always believed that and I do support fracking he, uh, and never taken any money from their, their, their industry, but I support how critical it is that we produce our own energy and create energy independence.”
“I do want to clarify something,” the moderator pushed back. “You’re saying tonight that you support fracking, that you’ve always supported fracking, but there is that 2018 interview that you said, quote, ‘I don’t support fracking at all.’ So how do you square the two?”
“I do support fracking. And I don’t, I don’t. I support fracking,” Fetterman responded. “And I stand and I do support fracking.”
WATCH:
Fetterman: “I do support fracking, and I don’t, I don’t– I support fracking, and I stand, and I do support fracking.” pic.twitter.com/gnZRKzULqG
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 26, 2022