Just this week, wildfires scorched an unprecedented 4 millionth acre of California, a powerful Category 4 hurricane barreled toward the Gulf states, and federal scientists declared 2020 a record year for billion-dollar climate-related disasters.

Yet it was the incumbent in an administration dismantling even the most basic climate protections who went on the offensive at Wednesday nights vice presidential debate.

Vice President Mike Pence repeatedly attacked Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) over her past support of scientifically sound proposals and successfully shifted the focus of their lone debate away from the Trump administrations abandonment of virtually every major policy to cut emissions.

Over and over again, the Republican lobbed the Green New Deal at the Democratic senator as a smear, depicting the movement to rapidly transition from fossil fuels and fortify the countrys infrastructure for climate catastrophes as a radical green boogeyman.

Were all about freedom and respecting the American people, Pence said. They want to abolish fossil fuels and ban fracking.

That rhetorical tactic created an uncomfortable wedge for the Democrat.