Coal was a big part of President Trump’s Tuesday night visit to coal country.
“We love clean beautiful, West Virginia coal,” Trump said at a rally in the Mountaineer State, flanked by supporters holding signs that read, “Trump Digs Coal.”
“That’s indestructible stuff,” Trump continued, describing coal as more resilient and reliable than natural gas, wind farms, and solar panels.
“In times of war, in times of conflict, you can blow up those windmills, they fall down real quick,” Trump said. “You can blow up those pipelines … you’re not going to fix them too fast.”
“You can do a lot of things to those solar panels,” he added. “But you know what you can’t hurt? Coal. You can do whatever you want to coal.”
He said coal was “very important,” adding that the administration is working on “a military plan that’s going to be something very special.” It wasn’t immediately clear what the president meant by a military plan, although the administration has been examining ways to save coal plants from retiring by making sure they remain operational as a matter of national security.
The Environmental Protection Agency earlier on Tuesday released its version of the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan climate rule. The Trump version of the plan, called the Affordable Clean Energy rule, would reward coal plants for burning coal more efficiently in order to reduce emissions and pollution.
Trump said the new version of the energy plan will save consumers “billions and billions of dollars” in electricity bills.
The plan garnered widespread criticism from Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Trump dismissed the Democratic leadership, targeting Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
“They’re not in favor of West Virginia. They don’t know that West Virginia exists. They don’t like coal. They don’t like energy,” Trump said.
Trump used the rally to endorse West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for the U.S. Senate, while opposing the incumbent Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin.
Morrisey said Manchin voted for Clinton after she vowed to put a lot of coal miners out of work during the last presidential race. The crowd chanted, “Joe has to go!”
Morrisey said he fights for the “hard-working coal miners,” asking West Virginia voters to “send a conservative fighter” to the Senate in November.
