Former President Donald Trump took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris during a speech in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, criticizing her stance on energy policies, particularly fracking, and warning of the economic consequences for Pennsylvania if she were to win the presidency.

Trump spoke to a crowd of supporters, focusing on the state’s energy sector and accusing Harris of trying to undermine it with her policies on fossil fuels and electric vehicles.

During his address, Trump reminded Pennsylvanians of Harris’s past comments about banning fracking, stating that her actions would “obliterate” the state’s economy. “Lyin’ Kamala vowed to repeatedly ban fracking and she imposed a natural gas export ban.

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That was a killer that is starving your state right now of your wealth, and wealth that you deserve,” Trump said.

He promised that under his leadership, Pennsylvania’s energy workers would be fracking, drilling, and pumping at unprecedented levels. “When I win, we will get Pennsylvania energy workers, fracking, drilling, pumping, and producing like they have never produced before.”

Harris’s previous stance on fracking has been a point of contention, especially given Pennsylvania’s significant role in the natural gas industry.

While running for president in 2019, Harris openly supported a ban on fracking, stating during a primary debate, “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.”

CNN REPORTER: You said you supported banning fracking. Did it change?

Kamala: In 2020, I made clear where I stand. We are in 2024. I kept my word.

REPORTER: Why did you change your position?

Kamala: Let’s be clear. My values have not changed. pic.twitter.com/uHxixMwe1Z

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 30, 2024

However, she has since claimed she did not call for a complete ban, a claim Trump highlighted as a contradiction.

He accused Harris of shifting her stance only due to poor polling numbers. “She was always against fossil fuels, she was born that way. You don’t change. She just changed because her poll numbers were bad,” Trump remarked.

Trump also criticized Harris’s push for electric vehicles, claiming it would “decimate” Pennsylvania’s economy by eliminating jobs in the fossil fuel industry.

He argued that Harris’s “insane electric vehicle mandate” would force Americans to transition to electric cars, a move he said many people don’t want. “Her insane electric vehicle mandate will decimate Pennsylvania’s economy by abolishing gas-powered cars and trucks for American roads, and destroying your fossil fuel industry,” Trump stated, adding that Pennsylvania’s energy industry supports over 500,000 jobs.

Continuing his criticism of electric vehicles, Trump argued that the shift to electric cars, many of which he claimed are manufactured in China, would hurt American workers.

He pointed to the concerns of autoworkers and the limitations of electric vehicles, particularly in cold weather. “There are a lot of problems, and they don’t work well,” Trump said.

He recalled stories of electric vehicles underperforming in freezing temperatures, particularly in Iowa, where he claimed the cars failed in 20-degree-below-zero weather.

Trump vowed to reverse these policies if re-elected, promising to repeal the electric vehicle mandate and ramp up fossil fuel production. “We were energy independent four years ago. Now we’re not,” Trump said. “I will repeal the insane electric vehicle mandate, and we will drill, baby, drill.”

Beyond energy policy, Trump also attacked Harris’s tax plans, warning of her proposals to raise taxes, including what he called the “largest capital gains tax in history” and a “wealth confiscation tax.” He described these policies as “communist” and labeled Harris the “tax queen,” stating, “This is the only election I’ve ever seen where somebody brags about, ‘We’re going to raise your taxes.’”

As Pennsylvania remains a critical battleground state in the upcoming election, Trump’s speech in Erie underscored his focus on energy independence and economic growth, key issues that resonate with voters in the state.

With fracking and fossil fuel production playing a major role in Pennsylvania’s economy, Trump positioned himself as the defender of those industries against what he characterized as Harris’s harmful policies.

Watch Donald Trump’s full rally in Erie, Pennsylvania:

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