WASHINGTON: US presidential candidate Donald Trump took aim at wind turbines and solar fields during a campaign rally in Florida on Tuesday, using Germany as a cautionary example, reported German news agency (dpa).
“They (Germany) were putting windmills all over the place, and the wind wasn’t blowing so much,“ Trump said at a town hall meeting in Florida. “And if they’ve kept that process going, Germany will, right now, be bust.”
Trump claimed this was a key reason for Angela Merkel’s departure as German chancellor, but he did not offer any evidence to back up his assertion. After 16 years as the head of Germany’s government, Merkel decided to retire and left office at the end of 2021.
Trump has long been an advocate for the controversial extraction of natural gas through fracking, a stance that contrasts with the views of his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
He accused Harris and her party of opposing anything related to underground resources. “Germany just went through it. They almost destroyed themselves,“ Trump said.
While Harris has previously expressed opposition to fracking, she has since indicated that she will not ban it, a point Trump has questioned repeatedly.
Fracking plays an important role in Pennsylvania, a key swing state known for its strong middle class, making it a major issue in the upcoming election.
The US election on Nov 5 is now in its final stretch.