Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) disputed a live-on-air fact check from NBC News co-moderator Lester Holt during Wednesday night’s third Republican presidential debate in Miami.
Holt had asked Scott what he could do as president that would help immediately lower prices for everyday items that are weighing down America’s families.
“America is the home to more energy resources than any other country on the planet,” Scott said. “We can reduce the price of energy, we can reduce the price of food and the price of electricity if we focus on my ‘build here, don’t borrow from China’ plan that is embedded, the made in America strategy creates 10 million new jobs in three different areas. One is innovation. Second is the high tech manufacturing. And the third is the energy economy. We have an opportunity as Americans to actually export the surplus energy that we create in our nation and disconnect from China and from murderous dictators and tyrants.”
Holt interjected to tell Scott that his time was up but then fact checked Scott’s remarks.
“The idea of pumping gas, of turning on pipelines, that doesn’t make gas cheaper that day,” Holt said. “I’m talking about when you become president what can you do specifically to help people feel better about their situation, or be better with their situation.”
“Well, actually it does, to be honest with you,” Scott fired back. “The way that the economy works is it works on the ability to anticipate excess supply versus the demand. When that happens, confidence drives our prices down because we know there’s going to be a greater surplus. When you allow for those who have leases to actually start drilling, to start using those leases for more energy excavation, you put our economy in the strongest position and, as a result of that, prices start going down.”
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