Biden campaigns with artists against fracking

Presidential contender Joe Biden will be out on the campaign trail on Monday, with two stops, one in Pennsylvania and one in Ohio. Biden will be joined by Hollywood celebrity Lady Gaga, who is very prominently against fracking, a sore subject for the Biden/Harris campaign.

President Donald Trump blasted Biden on Twitter for joining forces with the prominent anti-fracking celeb, saying, "Just learned that Sleepy Joe Biden is campaigning in Pennsylvania with Lady Gaga, a proud member of 'Artists Against Fracking.' This is more proof that he would ban Fracking and skyrocket your energy prices... As I said at the debate – 'Will you remember that Texas?Pennsylvania? Ohio? New Mexico?' I will always protect American Energy and American Jobs! Get out and VOTE #MAGA!"

The Biden/Harris' campaign's position on fracking has been intentionally unclear, with both candidates having come out entirely opposed to fracking, and then walking back those assertions, and then going ahead to say that they would ban it.

Biden has stated multiple times that his administration would ban fossil fuels, including the practice of fracking. "No new fracking," he said. "We are going to get rid of fossil fuels."

He said "we would make sure it was eliminated." He said "I guarantee you we are going to end fossil fuels." And has called out the oil industry, saying that he would willingly sacrifice the growth of that industry, even though it would cost jobs and economic security. "No new fracking," he said.

But he's also said that he "will not ban fracking in Pennsylvania or anywhere else." Which one is true?

Given these two opposing assertions that Biden has made, it's hard to know what he is actually intending to do with regard to fracking, or fossil fuels, or pretty much anything.

Trump has called out Biden's plans to abolish fracking, especially at a time when the US is energy independent. "Biden has vowed to abolish US oil, US fracking, natural gas, industry. Look at what he's talking about doing. But it's not him, okay? He's shot, it's not him. It's the radical left. Energy prices will explode. That will cripple our country. Right now, energy independent, what we have going we've never had before."

Lady Gaga's appearance with Biden in a region known for its fossil fuel energy production, Pennsylvania and Ohio, may give an indication that Biden's statements in opposition to fracking are the ones that are a true summation of his intentions.

Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's director of communications, shot back "Nothing exposes Biden’s disdain for the forgotten working men & women of PA like campaigning with anti-fracking activist Lady Gaga. This desperate effort to drum up enthusiasm is actually a sharp stick in the eye for 600,000 Pennsylvanians who work in the fracking industry."

Lady Gaga didn't counter this, except to say that people should vote for Biden.

Biden's running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, is also in favour of banning fracking, "starting with what we can do on day one around public lands, and then there has to be legislation," she said in September.