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West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (D) blasted Joe Biden as “divorced from reality” over his “outrageous” promise to eliminate the coal industry on behalf of the environmentalists.
“President Biden’s comments are not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs,” Manchin tweeted Saturday.
My statement on comments President Biden made about shutting down coal plants: pic.twitter.com/LEeqrGdwqm
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 5, 2022
“Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believes he does not understand the need to have an all in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure. It seems his positions change depending on the audience and the politics of the day. Politicizing our nation’s energy policies would only bring higher prices and more pain for the American people.”
Manchin stressed that Biden never spoke to him about his intention to kill the coal industry, and called for him to apologize to the coal workers across America.
“Let me be clear, this is something the President has never said to me,” he claimed. “Being cavalier about the loss of coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting. The President owes these incredible workers an immediate and public apology and it is time he learn a lesson that his words matter and have consequences.”
During a visit to California on Friday, Biden vowed to shut down coal plants across America in favor of wind and solar technologies.
“We’re gonna be shutting these plants down all across America, and having wind and solar,” he told a crowd.
BIDEN ON COAL:
“We’re gonna be shutting these plants down all across America, and having wind and solar.” pic.twitter.com/JXIZxDzvsu
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 4, 2022
Biden’s remarks are particularly concerning given the American people are already suffering economic pain due to Biden’s war on domestic oil production and energy sanctions against Russia.
Manchin’s condemnation of Biden’s war on coal workers isn’t surprising given his suffering polls numbers in West Virginia, largely as a result of him helping Biden advance his “Inflation Reduction Act” spending bill.