Camila Thorndike’s recent statements have added a layer of confusion to Vice President Kamala Harris’s evolving stance on energy policy, particularly surrounding fossil fuel production.
Thorndike, a key climate adviser in the Harris-Walz campaign, initially suggested last week that Harris would be unsupportive of further oil and gas drilling if elected president. This appeared to signal a return to Harris’s earlier progressive stance on climate, when she backed measures like the Green New Deal and a fracking ban. However, in a sharp reversal on Monday, Thorndike walked back those remarks, claiming that her initial comments had not been clear.
The confusion centers around Harris’s mixed messaging on fossil fuels. While Harris once positioned herself as a strong advocate for curbing fossil fuel use, including supporting a fracking ban, her approach has since softened as she vies for a more moderate electorate.
The vice president now highlights her role in passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which, while focused on promoting clean energy, also required the issuance of new fossil fuel leases. Harris herself has repeatedly underscored this point, touting her tie-breaking vote in favor of the IRA as a demonstration of her balanced energy policy.
So Harris’s new position in Oct is she now opposes fracking and no longer supports her position in July when she changed her position to support fracking which was subsequently a change in her prior, prior position of June which was to oppose fracking?
Got it. https://t.co/hHrDu7DZ6o
— US Oil & Gas Association (@US_OGA) October 21, 2024
Thorndike’s initial comments seemed to contradict this more moderate stance, implying that Harris would not support further fossil fuel development beyond what was required by law.
Yet, her subsequent clarification only muddied the waters, as she attempted to reframe Harris’s role in expanding fossil fuel leases under the IRA as a necessary compromise rather than a point of emphasis.
This flip-flopping underscores a broader challenge for the Harris-Walz campaign. After Harris’s earlier advocacy for progressive climate policies, she now finds herself trying to thread the needle between the party’s environmental base and more moderate voters who support domestic energy production.
Harris has tried to walk a fine line—touting increased domestic oil production while arguing for investments in renewable energy sources to reduce reliance on foreign oil. Yet, the mixed messaging, compounded by Thorndike’s back-and-forth, may leave some voters uncertain about where Harris truly stands on these critical energy issues.
