Donald Trump dangled a brazen “deal” in front of some of the top US oil bosses last month, proposing that they give him $1bn for his White House re-election campaign and vowing that once back in office he would instantly tear up Joe Biden’s environmental regulations and prevent any new ones, according to a bombshell new report.
According to the Washington Post, the former US president made his jaw-dropping pitch, which the paper described as “remarkably blunt and transactional”, at a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago home and club.
In front of more than 20 executives, including from Chevron, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, he promised to increase oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, remove hurdles to drilling in the Alaskan Arctic, and reverse new rules designed to cut car pollution. He would also overturn the Biden administration’s decision in January to pause new natural gas export permits which have been denounced as “climate bombs”.
“You’ll get it on the first day,” Trump said, according to the Post, citing an unnamed dinner attendee.
Obviously this kind of behavior should be illegal. And it’s not surprising at all to see it from Trump, especially with zero tact. But I particularly like how the writer pretends like the vast majority of US politicians aren’t also kissing the rings of the big oil industry.
I’d wager most, if not all, people in this country have never lived outside of the direct influence of the oil barons. They have used their money and power to fuck us over at every possible opportunity if it means they get even more money and even more power.