Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed to reverse dozens of the Biden administration’s environmental rules and policies at a meeting with top U.S. oil executives, where he also asked them to raise $1 billion for his presidential campaign, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The Post, citing unidentified sources familiar with the meeting last month in Florida, said Trump promised to end President Joe Biden’s emissions rules aimed at promoting electric vehicles and halt the Biden administration’s freeze on permits for new liquefied natural gas exports, among other actions.
Trump told the chief executives that giving $1 billion would be a “deal” for them, according to the report. Invited guests included the CEOs of Venture Global, Cheniere Energy as well as representatives from Chevron, Continental Resources, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, it said.
Representatives for Trump’s campaign could not be immediately reached for comment. Representatives for the companies also could not be immediately reached.
Trump, who faces a rematch with Biden in the Nov. 5 presidential election, has vowed to undo much of the Democratic president’s work to fight climate change.
Biden has touted his administration’s climate efforts — including its tailpipe rules — as both good for the environment and for the economy, which is a factor in his re-election campaign.
At the meeting in Trump’s private club, the Republican presidential contender also said he would auction off more leases for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and reverse drilling restrictions in the Alaskan Arctic, the Post reported. He also reiterated his complaints about wind power, it added.
(Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu)