SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"I didn't really care about it, but then when I heard everybody wanted it for 40 years, they've been trying to get it approved and I said, 'make sure you don't lose ANWR,' Trump explained. (Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters/Flickr/cc)
Trump: I 'Didn't Care' About Arctic Drilling Until My Big Oil Friend Said I Should
"It's a sickening display of how easily the president is swayed into supporting something that will likely benefit his friends at the expense of the public."
Feb 02, 2018
"America's treasures are up for sale and the only thing you need to get them is the president's phone number."
--Brian Kahn, Earther
If President Donald Trump's own account is to be believed, he "really didn't care" about opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling--but everything changed when one of his rich buddies from the oil and gas industry called him up and explained how great and profitable it would be.
Here is how Trump recounted the call during a rambling performance at the Republican Member Conference in West Virginia on Thursday:
A friend of mine called up in that world, in that business and said 'is it true you're thinking about ANWR?' I said, 'yeah, I think we're going to get it but you know,."
He said, "are you kidding? You know that's the biggest thing by itself. Ronald Reagan and every president has wanted to get ANWR approved."
And after that, I said, "oh, make sure that's in the [$1.5 trillion tax] bill."
Trump went on to explain that another key factor in his support for ANWR drilling--which scientists and conservationists have said would cause irreperable harm to "the most beautiful, pristine wildlife refuge that we have in the United States"--was the failure of previous presidents to open up the 19 million-acre refuge to the oil and gas industry.
"I really didn't care about it, but then when I heard everybody wanted it for 40 years, they've been trying to get it approved and I said, 'make sure you don't lose ANWR,' Trump explained.
As Earther's Brian Kahn notes, Trump's remarks are further evidence that--in the view of the White House and the Republican leadership--"America's treasures are up for sale and the only thing you need to get them is the president's phone number."
"It's a sickening display of how easily the president is swayed into supporting something that will likely benefit his friends at the expense of the public," Kahn added.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
"America's treasures are up for sale and the only thing you need to get them is the president's phone number."
--Brian Kahn, Earther
If President Donald Trump's own account is to be believed, he "really didn't care" about opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling--but everything changed when one of his rich buddies from the oil and gas industry called him up and explained how great and profitable it would be.
Here is how Trump recounted the call during a rambling performance at the Republican Member Conference in West Virginia on Thursday:
A friend of mine called up in that world, in that business and said 'is it true you're thinking about ANWR?' I said, 'yeah, I think we're going to get it but you know,."
He said, "are you kidding? You know that's the biggest thing by itself. Ronald Reagan and every president has wanted to get ANWR approved."
And after that, I said, "oh, make sure that's in the [$1.5 trillion tax] bill."
Trump went on to explain that another key factor in his support for ANWR drilling--which scientists and conservationists have said would cause irreperable harm to "the most beautiful, pristine wildlife refuge that we have in the United States"--was the failure of previous presidents to open up the 19 million-acre refuge to the oil and gas industry.
"I really didn't care about it, but then when I heard everybody wanted it for 40 years, they've been trying to get it approved and I said, 'make sure you don't lose ANWR,' Trump explained.
As Earther's Brian Kahn notes, Trump's remarks are further evidence that--in the view of the White House and the Republican leadership--"America's treasures are up for sale and the only thing you need to get them is the president's phone number."
"It's a sickening display of how easily the president is swayed into supporting something that will likely benefit his friends at the expense of the public," Kahn added.
"America's treasures are up for sale and the only thing you need to get them is the president's phone number."
--Brian Kahn, Earther
If President Donald Trump's own account is to be believed, he "really didn't care" about opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling--but everything changed when one of his rich buddies from the oil and gas industry called him up and explained how great and profitable it would be.
Here is how Trump recounted the call during a rambling performance at the Republican Member Conference in West Virginia on Thursday:
A friend of mine called up in that world, in that business and said 'is it true you're thinking about ANWR?' I said, 'yeah, I think we're going to get it but you know,."
He said, "are you kidding? You know that's the biggest thing by itself. Ronald Reagan and every president has wanted to get ANWR approved."
And after that, I said, "oh, make sure that's in the [$1.5 trillion tax] bill."
Trump went on to explain that another key factor in his support for ANWR drilling--which scientists and conservationists have said would cause irreperable harm to "the most beautiful, pristine wildlife refuge that we have in the United States"--was the failure of previous presidents to open up the 19 million-acre refuge to the oil and gas industry.
"I really didn't care about it, but then when I heard everybody wanted it for 40 years, they've been trying to get it approved and I said, 'make sure you don't lose ANWR,' Trump explained.
As Earther's Brian Kahn notes, Trump's remarks are further evidence that--in the view of the White House and the Republican leadership--"America's treasures are up for sale and the only thing you need to get them is the president's phone number."
"It's a sickening display of how easily the president is swayed into supporting something that will likely benefit his friends at the expense of the public," Kahn added.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy