Biden, Trump Lock Horns as Ex-Veep Says ‘I Would Transition’ America From the Oil Industry

During the final 2020 Presidential Debate in Nashville, Vice President Joe Biden said he would work to make America less oil-dependent.

Near the end of the debate, President Donald Trump overran NBC’s Kristen Welker in order to ask Biden “would you close down the oil industry.”

“I would transition from the oil industry,” Biden answered, which Trump pronounced a “big statement” as Welker asked “why would you do that?”

Biden defended himself by citing the oil industry’s pollution and saying “it has to be replaced by renewable energy over time” in the country.

“I’d stop giving them federal subsidies,” he said. “[Trump] won’t give federal subsidies to solar and wind. Why are we giving it to the oil industry.”

Trump reacted by disputing Biden’s claim and declaring Biden will “destroy the oil industry.” Biden shot back that Trump “takes everything out of context,” and the country has to make an energy shift in the coming decades.

UPDATE – 12:18 a.m. ET: After the debate, Biden sent out a statement to the media clarifying that the ex-veep was directing his remarks toward oil subsidies.

“We’re not getting rid of fossil fuels. We’re getting rid of the subsidies for fossil fuels, but we’re not getting rid of fossil fuels for a long time. It will not be gone [until] probably 2050.”

The ex-veep insisted that people in the oil industry are “not going to lose their jobs,” and that exploring alternative energy will result in a lot more jobs being created.

Watch above, via CNN.