Patty Satalia

State College

Donald Trump, who has never met a “quid pro quo” he doesn’t like, hosted two-dozen oil company executives at Mar-a-Lago last month.

According to The Washington Post, Trump pledged that if they’d fork over a billion dollars for his re-election campaign, he’d roll back any and all Biden administration clean energy initiatives that the fossil fuel industry requests.

The Big Oil execs had a ready wish list: end restrictions on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic; back off emissions limits from cars; thaw the “freeze” on permits for liquified methane gas exports–and much more, all of which will change the climate for the worse. (Oh, and more tax breaks would be nice too.)

That sort of wheeling and dealing used to be considered influence-buying–i.e. bribery.

Mind you, the oil industry isn’t struggling. The Post reports that the U.S. now produces more oil than any nation in history. Last year, Chevron and ExxonMobil racked up their biggest profits in a decade.

Politico says oil industry execs are busily writing executive orders for Trump to issue should he regain the White House. It’s yet one more sign that a second Trump presidency would mean oligarchy–government by the wealthy and powerful–and that Trump’s loyalties are to his corporate donors, not the American people.

The Post says several oil execs at the dinner were “stunned” when Trump made his offer. C’mon guys, you weren’t at Mar-a-Lago just for the shrimp cocktail.