Trump ramps up fossil fuel tweets ahead of Election Day
- Ben Geman, author of Axios Generate
Trump's tweeting habits are one sign of how much the president hopes his strong support for fossil fuels will help get him over the top today.
Why it matters: Pennsylvania, a state critical to Trump's re-election chances, is the nation's second-largest natural gas producer. And polls show Texas, which is at the top in oil and gas production, is also in play this year.
Where it stands: Trump's tweets about oil, gas and fracking have soared lately, as seen in the chart above — which is already a little out of date, because it goes through noon yesterday and does not capture recent tweets like this one.
What we don't know: Whether Trump's attacks will work.
- A New York Times/Siena College poll released Sunday shows that 52% of likely voters in Pennsylvania back fracking, while 27% oppose it.
- However, clean energy and climate initiatives like Joe Biden's plans also tend to poll quite well.
Catch up fast: A centerpiece of Trump's attacks is the claim that Biden wants to "ban" fracking — which Biden has been pushing back hard against.
- The claim inaccurately describes Biden's platform, which aims to end new oil-and-gas permitting on federal lands but doesn't seek a national ban.
- Production in Pennsylvania and Texas is centered on private lands.
- But his position has been unclear or appeared more aggressive multiple times.
Go deeper: Trump reaches for oil lifeline