Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on Wednesday, and said she’s the best hope to defeat the wholly “unfit” Donald Trump in a general election.
“Now is the time to come together to defeat Donald Trump, who is utterly unfit to be our next president,” Steyer said in a statement. “Trump’s racist rhetoric is directly offensive to our American values and his dangerous actions would threaten our children’s future in every way.”
Steyer’s endorsement came after Clinton’s victory in last night’s Democratic primary in his home state of California.
“Voters in my home state of California cast their ballots on Tuesday, and we — like a majority of Democratic voters across the country — have chosen Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee,” Steyer said.
Steyer has been leading a campaign to make climate change central to candidates’ election platforms, and has attacked fossil fuels in favor of wind and solar.
Bernie Sanders has been the champion on the anti-fossil fuel front, and has called for a ban on fracking. Steyer did not discount Sanders in his statement, but carefully remained supportive of the senator’s solutions as central to the Democratic platform even as he endorsed Clinton.
“Sen. Bernie Sanders is a great progressive leader who has ensured that solutions to climate change and economic inequality remain at the center of the Democratic platform,” Steyer said. “His passion for justice sets an example for us all.”
In the meantime, Clinton “is an experienced leader who will lead us to victory because she embodies the best values of our country,” he said.
“She will put the needs of working families first,” he added. “She will be fearless in her pursuit of solutions to the most urgent challenges we face. She will move us rapidly towards becoming ‘the clean energy superpower of the 21st century,’ with inclusive prosperity and a better future for all.”
