'We don't have power': Trump rambles about energy policy in fact-challenged rant

Donald Trump spoke extensively about energy when speaking before The Economic Club of New York on Thursday.

Claiming a "1929 depression" was coming and the United States was "becoming a third-world banana republic," the ex-president claimed U.S. power plants were being shut down and that Americans were suffering as a result.

"We don't have power already," Trump read slowly from his speech.

He alleged that under President Joe Biden's administration, "50 power plants have been shut down."

Trump is likely talking about cutting coal-fired power plants, which have slowly been phased out because they are significantly more costly than other forms of energy. In 2023, the cost of coal became more expensive than even wind and solar energy, The Guardian reported.

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Trump then said he will call a "national emergency" to rapidly build power plants around the U.S.

But then Trump turned to talk about his "friends" in the "Arab world" that he claimed are working against him.

"That is why OPEC and the Arab nations — we are very honored to have some of my friends here with us today from that part of the world," Trump jumped from one sentence to another. "They are working very hard, despite being here, that I am not your president."

He falsely claimed that "Kamala Harris spent $7.5 billion to build eight charging stations." In fact, Congress passed a bill to include funds for charging stations. According to FactCheck.org, "as of mid-August, the funds that have been deployed have helped produce 61 charging ports at 15 stations, with another 14,900 ports in progress."

The fact check also said noted Trump tends to vacillate on his numbers: At one point, he claimed $9 billion was spent while in July he claimed there was "$5 trillion to build the EV chargers."

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