Trump’s unkept promise to coal country

Published: Sept. 30, 2020, 9 a.m.

One of Trump’s key promises to the coal industry was rolling back environmental regulations -- and it  helped him win in key states back in 2016. But that hasn’t been nearly enough to restore the industry to health, as cheaper natural gas and renewables eat away at its hold on the power industry. POLITICO’s Zack Colman and Eric Wolff explain why the president’s promise was impossible to keep, and how the rhetoric around coal is different in 2020. Anthony Adragna is an energy reporter for POLITICO and host of POLITICO Energy. Zack Colman is an energy and environment reporter for POLITICO. Eric Wolff is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Carlos Prieto is a Politico podcast producer. Jenny Ament is the senior producer of POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.