The Oil and Gas Workers' Association has endorsed former president Donald Trump as their champion in next year's presidential election.
The industry group's president, Matt Coday, noted in an interview with the Daily Mail that Trump had pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement during his previous term, had also pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and had made an effort to save U.S. oil and gas jobs.
Meanwhile, Coday said, "Governor DeSantis says a lot of the right things, right, but his track record isn't there."
He added that it was during the Trump administration that the U.S. became a net exporter of energy and "energy dominant."
The Daily Mail noted that the OGWA's endorsement of Trump comes just as DeSantis announced his energy policy, which will focus on boosting local oil and gas production.
"I will ensure that this country does not have to rely on hostile nations for its energy needs ever again," the Florida Governor said.
The Financial Times reported earlier this week that presidential candidates from the Republican camp were targeting wealthy oil industry majors as potential campaign sponsors. Ron DeSantis "led the charge", the report said, with a visit to Midland.
The candidates are seeking to take advantage of oil tycoons' doubts about Trump's chances of beating Biden next year, according to the FT.
"I'm personally looking for a true dark horse that has minimal baggage - so Republicans can perform better and truly compete for the White House and Congress," the chief executive of Abo Empire, a New Mexico-based oil driller, told the FT.
According to the OGWA, however, "President Trump has been the most pro-American Oil & Gas Workers president ever, with 11.3 million jobs supported by our vital industry in 2019. Under President Trump's leadership, our country became energy dominant. The booming economy of the Trump years benefitted every American,"
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More