LAS VEGAS — Tom Steyer, the billionaire liberal environmentalist, told The Daily Caller he is pleased that several of the Democrats running for president expressed the belief that global warming is the biggest threat to the United States.
In a brief interview with TheDC in the spin-room after the debate, Steyer said, “what we liked is the people that talked about energy and climate.”
“I’d say four out of five mentioned it in their opening statement,” Steyer said. “Two of them said it was the biggest security risk facing the United States.”
Asked the greatest national security threat, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley listed global warming along with ISIS and a nuclear Iran.
“The scientific community is telling us that if we do not address the global crisis of climate change, transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to sustainable energy, the planet that we’re going to be leaving our kids and our grandchildren may well not be habitable,” Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to the question. “That is a major crisis.”
Steyer is willing to spend his fortune on politics: Forbes reported Steyer spent about $74 million in the 2014 midterm elections, much of that going to his NextGen Climate Action super PAC to go after Senate Republican candidates.
“This is an election where if we don’t get this right, we’re basically screwed,” Steyer told TheDC.
Asked if he anticipates backing a candidate, he said: “We don’t even know everybody running at this point. I’m sure at some point there will be a stark contrast. It may be after the primaries. But the fact of the matter is I’m sure we’ll be supporting somebody at some point.”