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CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her recent claims about her stance on fracking. In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Harris asserted that she had “made clear” during the 2020 presidential debates that she did not support a ban on fracking. Harris, who was a vocal advocate for a fracking ban in 2019, claimed that her position had remained consistent and that she would not impose a ban if elected president.
Dale, however, contested Harris’s assertion, noting that her statements during the 2020 debates did not explicitly address her personal stance on fracking. Harris had previously called for a ban on the practice in 2019, but during the debates, she aligned her comments with Joe Biden’s policy. Biden had stated that he would not end fracking, and Harris’s debate remarks seemed to reflect his position rather than a personal change in her views.
When Harris declared, “Joe Biden will not end fracking,” during the 2020 vice presidential debate, Dale took that to mean that she was endorsing Biden rather than expressing her own opinions. Dale concluded that Harris did not clearly communicate a shift in her stance from her 2019 position during the debates. This discrepancy has led to confusion and criticism from observers.
NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor also weighed in, criticizing Harris for her failure to adequately address her shifting positions. Alcindor noted that while Harris frequently asserts that her values have not changed, there is a lack of explanation for why her policy positions have evolved over time.
This scrutiny of Harris’s statements comes amid growing debate over her policy positions as she campaigns for the 2024 presidential election. The controversy highlights the challenges candidates face in reconciling past statements with current positions, especially in a highly scrutinized political environment.