Manchin Rebukes Biden, Calls Coal Comments "Offensive and Disgusting"

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) rebuked a statement made by President Biden this week regarding a transition away from coal power towards green energy, calling the remarks “offensive and disgusting.”

Key Quotes: President Biden gave a speech on Friday in California where he stated, “no one is building new coal plants because they can’t rely on it, even if they have all the coal guaranteed for the rest of their existence of the plant. So it’s going to become a wind generation. We’re going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar.” Manchin, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the President’s words were “not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs,” demanding an “immediate and public apology” for coal workers.

For Context: West Virginia, Manchin’s state, is home to one of the country’s largest coal industries. Manchin, a centrist, has been a key figure in the 50-50 Senate and has previously fought the President’s legislative efforts, including the Build Back Better bill early in Biden’s Presidency, but surprised many when he voted in favor of the President’s Inflation Reduction Act this past summer.

How the Media Covered it: Biden’s comment and Manchin’s response was covered across the spectrum on Saturday, with most coverage noting the in-party fighting so close to Tuesday’s midterm elections.