Green Party candidate Jill Stein says she offers alternative to Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) — Pennsylvania voters have four choices for president on the ballot next Tuesday. One of those candidates, Jill Stein, says she offers a clear alternative to both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, is making her third run for president. In Pittsburgh recently, she says her party is the party of peace and environmental action and the Green New Deal.
"We've got things like fracking going on which are poisoning our air. We have serious air quality issues here in Pittsburgh in particular," Stein said.
"Our government, both political parties, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, are pledging allegiance to this endless war being conducted by Bibi Netanyahu right now and so many of our tax dollars are going into this endless war machine," she added.
She says the twin issues of the environment and peace distinguish her from Trump and Harris. Take fracking, used to extract natural gas to heat our homes in this region, which both the Democrat and Republican candidates have said they support.
"Would you end fracking?" KDKA-TV's Jon Delano asked her.
"We would immediately end all new fracking and we would then cease to — we would basically cease fracking. We would phase it out ideally over the course of the next ten years," she said.
And then there's the issue of wars in Ukraine and Palestine. She wants to end both. On Ukraine, she blames the United States for placing nuclear weapons in NATO on Russia's borders and inciting the Russian reaction.
"What's the solution?" Delano asked.
"Negotiation and diplomacy, and the U.S. was refusing. We refused to negotiate when Russia was ready to negotiate," she said.
Stein says she's the only presidential candidate willing to use American resources to back up an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli war on Palestinians in Gaza.
"We would be very different," Stein said. "I would pick up the phone basically and tell Bibi Netanyahu that we need a ceasefire now. In fact, that is what the American people overwhelmingly support because witnessing this genocidal assault on the people of Gaza is just devastating."
"We're providing the weapons," she added. "We're providing the diplomatic cover. It's time for this to end. If it does not end, if you're not complying with international law here, we're going to withhold all aid until such time as you do."
Politically, some call Stein a spoiler, taking votes from Kamala Harris, thereby allowing Donald Trump to win Pennsylvania this year as he did in 2016. Stein disputes that.
"The votes of the opponents to genocide are not being taken from Kamala Harris. She already lost them," she said.
In addition to Harris, Trump, and Stein on the Pennsylvania ballot, voters can also opt for the Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver.