Embarrassing: Biden Interior Secretary Unable to Answer Zinke

I was cranking out a few news stories and commentary on Wednesday night: Senator Jon Tester's (D-MT) latest election season flip-flop. Pentagon officials being questioned about drag queen story hours targeting kids on military bases like Malmstrom AFB here in Montana. And, I was working on a story about the tax rebates here in Montana.

In the middle of all that, I got a message from a friend in Big Timber, Montana. "Did you watch Zinke grill Deb Haaland today?" he asked. He added, "I was driving to Helena listening to either Tucker or Watters...it was comical how unprepared she was."

Zinke, the Congressman representing Montana's Western District, was the Interior Secretary under former President Trump. Haaland is the Interior Secretary under President Biden.

I watched the clip myself, and yes- it's embarrassing. And it's no wonder our country is falling so far behind under the Biden Administration.

Here's part of that back and forth (below compilation shared by Congressman Zinke's office in a press release):

ZINKE: Are you aware that China produces more emissions than any other country on the planet?

HAALAND: I probably read that somewhere.

 ZINKE: Are you aware that China produces 90% of plastic from four rivers?

HAALAND: I’ll take that to be true.

ZINKE: Are you aware that by multiple studies, that in order to satisfy the present requirement of EV and critical minerals, it would take an increase of 2,000% minerals needed in the next twenty years?

HAALAND: Thank you for that information.

ZINKE: Can you pick any place in the United States that you’ve identified to fast-track so we are not vulnerable to China and Russia both In defense and EV?

HAALAND: We are working on identifying those critical minerals.

And here's the full video:

By the way, we apparently have a big opportunity for a rare earth minerals mine right here in Montana. Click here if you missed my latest story on that front.