CNN's Cuomo: Trump “Proposed A Lot Of Things That Can't Be Done” In His Energy Speech

From the May 27 edition of CNN's New Day:

Video file

CHRIS CUOMO (HOST): Donald Trump put out a big speech about his energy policy, about coal, about oil, about regulation. And the criticism of it is that he proposed a lot of things that can't be done. You can't get rid of all of the EPA regulations. You can't just make coal as huge as it once was. There are good and bad reasons for that. Fair criticisms that the proposal can't do what Donald Trump says it will do. 

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (Trump Campaign Senior Adviser): I think there are some big things you can do, and exactly what Donald Trump said is we need to move to an all-of-the-above approach. The Obama administration and his energy policy has been job killing, raised energy costs across America, has been horrible for our country, so we've to go back to where we put all options on the table. And the EPA has been terrible. It's been an out of control agency not governed by anyone, where they just make decisions without really a lot of over sight, and they've got to be reined in and brought back down. And we've got to absolutely reverse what has taken place over the last eight years under the Obama administration by taking away the energy independence that Americans have enjoyed and making us more dependent on foreign energy and go back to where we can energize our own country on our own. 

CUOMO:  But Sarah, that is either not the reality, or it is the reality for a reason. The environmental changes that the EPA has put into effect, and like every government agency it's got its problems. No one's going to argue on that. But reducing fossil fuel dependence is a very popular thing in America, and that's a big part of the regulations, and in terms of energy independence, the United States right now puts out 74% of its oil needs. I mean, I guess you could go to 100 percent, but the idea that we're somehow, you know, really deficient in terms of how much of our own needs we provide for, it's just not true. 

HUCKABEE SANDERS: Well, we have become more dependent on foreign energy, and we've got to be -- if you can't fuel yourself and fight for yourself, then you can't be a free country. And so if we continue to go down the road of becoming more and more dependent on foreign energy, then we are taking away our ability to be a free country. 

CUOMO: Right, but we're pumping more now.

HUCKABEE SANDERS: And so we've got to rein in an out of control -- and the EPA is far worse than a lot of the government agencies. Of course they all have their problems, but this is an agency without any oversight and rules without any input from other places. And so it's absolutely got to be reined in. I think it's across the board known that the EPA is (sic) become an out of control agency and has to have some major changes take place.

Related:

Vox: 6 Things We Learned From Donald Trump's First Big Energy Speech

Previously:

As Trump Talks Energy, Media Should Recall His Preposterous Track Record

This Wyoming Reporter Just Threw Cold Water On Trump's Coal Fantasy

Experts, Media Say Trump Wrong, Clinton Right About Coal Industry's Decline