Washington, DC — Tonight, former Vice President Joe Biden participated in a town hall in Philadelphia with ABC News. Donald Trump scheduled a town hall at the same time in Miami with NBC News. These events took place in lieu of the cancelled second presidential debate due to Trump’s refusal to participate in a virtual format after he tested positive for COVID-19.

350 Action Campaign Manager Jenny Marienau Zimmer gave the following response:

“The American people deserve more than to toggle between two townhalls on different channels. We deserve a side by side comparison of the candidate on the issues we care about. On NBC’s town hall with Trump in Miami, one of the most climate-impacted cities in the US, there was not a moment of discussion on the climate crisis, nor does the Trump Administration have any plan to guide our nation through this existential threat. Instead, Trump focused on denying his mismanagement of the COVID crisis, and spreading misinformation on everything from healthcare to police brutality to QAnon. His playbook is clear: stoke fear and deny the facts. We simply cannot afford four more years of this gutless bully.

“Meanwhile on ABC’s town hall, Biden affirmed that the future is in renewable energy, noting the huge opportunity to transition millions of workers to good paying jobs in wind and solar. His plan to do this is immensely popular amongst a majority of voters, especially youth voters. This commitment to climate action is essential, and we urge the Biden team to stay focused on ambitious and real solutions to the climate crisis. Biden must continue to affirm his commitment to building a more resilient country through detailed plans to address the compound crises we face and prioritize the needs of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. We want to see Biden continue to listen to our movement with the compassion and direct engagement we saw tonight, while recognizing the popularity of bold and comprehensive climate action, including the Green New Deal and a clear plan to phase out all fossil fuels, including fracked gas.”

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