WATCH: Joe Biden Gets Busted at CNN Climate Town Hall for Holding Fundraiser Hosted By Fossil Fuel Executive
Former Vice President Joe Biden got called out in dramatic fashion at a climate-themed town hall for his scheduled appearance at a fundraiser hosted by a fossil fuel executive.
During Wednesday night’s forum hosted by CNN, Biden fielded a question from Issac Larkin — a doctoral candidate at Northwestern.
“I know that you signed a no fossil fuel money pledge,” Larkin said. “But I have to ask: How can we trust you to hold these corporations and executives accountable for their crimes against humanity when we know that tomorrow you are holding a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by Andrew Goldman, a fossil fuel executive.”
“He is not a fossil fuel executive,” Biden said — before promptly switching the subject.
But CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who moderated the town hall, did not let Biden off the hook.
“There is a fundraiser tomorrow night, it’s given by a guy named Andrew Goldman,” Cooper said. “He does hedge funds and stuff, but he also has a company called Western LNG. And their biggest project — which I think was announced in 2018 — it’s a floating, liquified facility for natural gas. It’s off the coast of British Colombia. And it’s going to provide Canadian gas to parts of Northern Asia. … [I]f you’re going to a fundraiser given in part by this company that is pulling up natural gas, are you the right guy to go after [fossil fuel executives]?”
“Well, I didn’t realize he does that,” Biden replied. “I was told — if you look at the SEC filings, he’s not listed as one of those executives. That’s what we look at. The SEC filings. Who are those executives? I’ve kept that pledge. Period.”
According to Western LNG’s website, Goldman was a co-founder of the company.
“Are you going to look at that fundraiser tomorrow night?” Cooper asked Biden.
“I’m going to look at what you told me and find out if that’s accurate, yes!” Biden replied.
“I think it’s pretty accurate,” Cooper said.
Watch above, via CNN.