How Harris Can Put Trump on the Defensive on Fracking

Instead of getting sucked into a he-said, she-said fight about banning fracking, Harris should simply say she supports “freedom to choose energy.” Citing research showing that solar is the cheapest energy in history and will likely be free almost everywhere by 2030, Harris should say she supports Americans having the choice to save money with clean energy. This statement ties climate policy to inflationary concerns for voters who already have jobs, but it also frames climate action as a form of freedom.

If Trump claims that climate policy is causing higher energy prices, Harris should point to studies showing that other factors, including the rise of data centers and artificial intelligence, are straining the grid and driving up electricity prices. She should reiterate that this is why we need freedom of energy choice. Harris could also provoke Trump by reminding Americans that energy prices rose after his friend Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, which drove up the price of oil and natural gas. Trump’s taunts about Putin are likely to take him off-message, prompting him to say something alienating or aggressive that would turn off voters concerned about his emotional instability.

Of course, Harris shouldn’t shy away from saying that free energy choices lead to economic growth. She should certainly celebrate the jobs created by climate investments she’s already backed: more than 330,000 jobs to date, mostly in Georgia, Texas, Michigan and Nevada. And she should tell voters that this job creation has bipartisan support, highlighting a letter written by 18 House Republicans urging Speaker Mike Johnson not to repeal IRAs because his tax breaks “have spurred innovation, encouraged investment and created good jobs in many parts of the country — including many districts represented by members of our conference.”