As my colleague Nick Arama reported, President Joe Biden proudly declared Friday (about five days before a midterm election) that he would be closing coal plants across the country:

But then came that revealing moment where Biden said what he probably wasn’t supposed to say, at least not a few days before the election when so many people are being crushed by the economy. He claimed that no one was building new coal plants “because they can’t rely on it.” Then Biden bragged about closing coal plants all across the country.

BIDEN ON COAL:

"We're gonna be shutting these plants down all across America, and having wind and solar." pic.twitter.com/JXIZxDzvsu

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 4, 2022

Not so strangely, this verbal diarrhea did not go unnoticed. In particular, Biden’s comments received considerable blowback from West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Coal is one of West Virginia’s lifeblood industries, and any talk of killing this sector has never been well received.

If Biden had a brain, he would know this.

From The Hill:

Manchin called the comments “offensive and disgusting,” accusing the president of taking the livelihoods of West Virginians lightly.

“Being cavalier about the loss of coal jobs for men and women in West Virginia and across the country who literally put their lives on the line to help build and power this country is offensive and disgusting,” said Manchin.

The senator continued: “Comments like these are the reason the American people are losing trust in President Biden and instead believes he does not understand the need to have an all in energy policy that would keep our nation totally energy independent and secure.”

Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre quickly stepped in to “clarify” the President’s remarks.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Saturday said President Biden’s comments on the coal industry had been “twisted” after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) earlier in the day criticized the remarks.

“The President’s remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement.