Biden-Trump debate lacked energy ... literally
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
The debate that's panicking Democrats over President Biden's lack of energy was also very low on energy and climate policy.
Why it matters: Biden didn't use the election's biggest stage to stitch "clean" energy infrastructure into his economic appeals throughout the night.
- Whether by design or not, the lack of emphasis came despite White House and campaign efforts to cast the 2021 infrastructure law and 2022 climate law as job drivers.
Democrats appeared especially dismayed that Biden didn't bring up a meeting that Donald Trump held with oil executives in which he reportedly promised to reverse environmental rules but wanted them to donate $1 billion to his campaign.
Meanwhile, Trump didn't focus much on his pro-drilling message or re-up his constant attacks on Biden's EV policies.
- He flicked at this by hitting the "green new scam" and claiming he made the U.S. "energy independent" and briefly touted the "liquid gold under our feet" — but it was all just in passing.
The intrigue: Neither candidate even stayed on topic when asked point blank about climate change.
- Trump immediately pivoted back to a prior question about struggles facing Black Americans.
Zoom in: Here's what unfolded when CNN's Dana Bash asked Trump whether he'd take action to "slow the climate crisis."
- Trump claimed he had the "best environmental numbers ever" and said the Paris Agreement that he abandoned (Biden re-entered the U.S.) "was going to cost us a trillion dollars."
- Biden riposted: "I don't know where the hell he's been."
Reality check: The claims are dicey. For instance, air quality trends were mixed under Trump and his environmental approach was deregulatory, and who knows where the trillion claim comes from.
- The NYT has a bit more on Trump's environmental and Paris Agreement claims, which the paper called "misleading."
The other side: "I've passed the most extensive ... climate change legislation in history," Biden said.
- He said Trump "didn't do a damn thing" about climate change and "wants to undo all that I've done."
Before the debate, Trump posted on Truth Social a series of talking points that he said came from Andrew Wheeler, his former EPA administrator.
- "Under my administration we will continue to reduce CO2 and focus on American made energy," one of them read.
The bottom line: If voters are looking for in-depth exchanges on energy, they'll have to wait for September's debate — if it happens.
