Former Vice President Joe Biden claimed during a Sunday campaign event that “we’re all dead” if fossil fuels continue to be used as one of the world’s primary energy sources.
Biden made the apocalyptic pronouncement while discussing climate change before a crowd of supporters in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
“If we don’t stop using fossil fuels–” an attendee began a question to the candidate.
“We’re all dead,” Biden interrupted.
Earlier in the event, Biden vowed as president to hold energy giants liable for global warming and made a pledge to even jail executives.
“We have to set sort of guide rails down now, so between the years 2021 and 2030, it’s irreversible – the path we set ourselves on. And one of which is doing away with any substance for fossil fuels – number one,” Biden said.
.@JoeBiden on fossil fuel execs: “We should put them in jail” for pollution pic.twitter.com/OLqZMwi4E5
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) December 29, 2019
“Number two, holding them liable for what they have done,” he said of fossil fuel executives, “particularly in those cases where your underserved neighborhoods and – you know the deal, okay. And by the way, when they don’t want to deliver, put them in jail. I’m not joking about this.”
It is unclear whether Biden meant he would also imprison his own son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of directors of Ukrainian gas giant Burisma Holdings between 2014-2016. The younger Biden was reportedly paid up to $83,000 as a Burisma board member, despite having no expertise in the energy sector.
Sunday’s remarks weren’t the first in which Biden advocated jailing business people. During June’s DNC debate, the former vice president called for insurance executives to be jailed for what he described as false advertising practices.
In September, Biden received blowback for attending a fundraiser hosted by a fossil fuel company co-founder — Andrew Goldman of Western LNG — after pledging not to accept contributions from the fossil fuel industry.
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