Biden brushes bug off reporters shirt during interview as he discusses climate record
President Biden noticed a bug on his Weather Channel interviewers shirt while he defended his administrations climate change record.
President Biden reportedly "outraged climate activists" by saying he'd declared a national emergency on the climate crisis without taking the formal steps that would unlock newfound power for his administration to fight climate change.
"Practically speaking, Biden has devastated communities and wildlife by backing disastrous carbon bombs from Alaska to Appalachia," Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute, told The Guardian.
The let-wing outlet's piece, "Climate activists outraged over Biden claim he ‘practically’ declared US emergency," focused on backlash to the president’s comments made during a recent interview.
BIDEN FLICKS BUG OFF REPORTER'S SHIRT AS HE DEFENDS CLIMATE RECORD
President Biden joined The Weather Channel's Stephanie Abrams for an interview this week focused on climate change. (Screenshot/TheWeatherChannel)
"I’ve already done that," Biden told The Weather Channel's Stephanie Abrams on Wednesday when asked if he was prepared to declare a national emergency with respect to climate change.
"So, you’ve already declared that national emergency?" Abrams followed up.
"Practically speaking, yes," Biden said.
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The Guardian pointed out "the White House has not yet announced such a declaration," despite pressure from liberal activists and lawmakers.
"Doing so would unlock a host of new powers for the president, including the ability to speed the energy transition and block fossil fuel projects without congressional approval," Guardian reporter Dharna Noor wrote.
Noor then declared his "statement outraged climate activists, who noted that it came amid a summer of record-breaking extreme weather events."
Essentially, activists are perplexed that Biden said it’s "practically" a national emergency but failed to make an official declaration that would give him authority to do something about it.
President Biden said he’s "practically" declared a national emergency. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Varshini Prakash, executive director of climate advocacy group Sunrise Movement, told the outlet "it’s a no-brainer to declare a climate emergency," but not just for television cameras.
Prakash asked, "If President Biden said we already have, then why not do it now?"
Biden also touted his administration's climate efforts during the interview.
"Last year, I signed the largest climate bill in the history not only of the United States, but literally in the history of the world. It’s the biggest investment in climate conservation and environmental justice ever anywhere in the history of the world," he said.
Reached for comment, the White House said Biden was "crystal clear" in his interview about how he's treated climate as an emergency.
"The President was crystal clear: he has treated climate change as an emergency – the existential threat of our time – since day one," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "That’s why he signed into law the most ambitious climate bill in history, conserved more land and water in his first year than any President since JFK, rejoined the Paris Agreement, attracted $240 billion in private sector investment in clean energy, and used his emergency authorities to invoke the Defense Production Act to supercharge domestic clean energy manufacturing. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are actively trying to repeal his historic bill and unwind regulations that reduce emissions and curb pollution – which would exacerbate the climate crisis and threaten the health and wellbeing of every American."
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Fox News’ Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
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