White House economic adviser Gary Cohn is being slammed for his comments Thursday on the future of the coal industry.
"Coal doesn't even make that much sense anymore as a feedstock," Cohn said, Axios reported Sunday. "Natural gas ... is such a cleaner fuel ... If you think about how solar and how much wind power we've created in the United States, we can be a manufacturing powerhouse and still be environmentally friendly."
Cohn's comments contrasted with President Donald Trump's view on the coal industry, The New York Times reported Friday, noting Trump had "campaigned as coal's champion" and had criticized former President Barack Obama's "war on coal."
And, Cohn's comments drew a quick response from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who told Breitbart News on Saturday:
"I'd tell Gary to check out the world consumption of coal, and tell India and tell China and tell all these different countries that are sometimes getting electrified for the first time — the first time in a developed nation or developing nation. That's how the Obama administration was, and I guess it looks like I'm going to have to go and try and work on Gary and give a little history lesson.
"It's a base load fuel. It's simple. We can depend on it 24/7. If we would just develop technology, we've got the ability to develop technology that makes using it much, much cleaner. The numbers are there.
"Coal is much needed and it's going to continue to be. Ask Gary how he thinks they make steel, where does the cooking come from? I'm going to give him a history lesson. Hopefully they'll let me come over and talk to him."
Myron Ebell, who led Trump's Environmental. Protection Agency transition team told Axios, "Gary Cohn does not represent the people who voted for Donald J. Trump ... I hope that what President Trump learned is that the other G7 leaders are marching in lockstep in the wrong direction and that it is up to him to lead the world towards energy abundance and prosperity."
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