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In a surprising move just hours before the highly anticipated presidential debate, former President Donald Trump took to social media to reveal a set of talking points advised by his former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, Andrew Wheeler, regarding climate change.

Wheeler, who previously worked as a coal and energy lobbyist, encouraged Trump to highlight how carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased during his presidency while emphasizing the U.S.’s increased energy dominance under his administration.

Additionally, Wheeler suggested Trump to pivot to criticizing his opponent, Joe Biden, by claiming that Biden’s policies would lead to the shutdown of U.S. energy sources, cancellation of pipelines, and halting of federal leases.

Despite ongoing accusations from the Republican side about Biden’s supposed enmity towards fossil fuels and his dismantling of Trump-era energy dominance, data shows a significant rise in crude oil production and natural gas exports during Biden’s term.

It is noteworthy that Wheeler, during his time as the head of the EPA, displayed inconsistency in his approach towards carbon emissions. When emissions decreased from 2016 to 2017, he attributed it to the deregulatory efforts of the Trump administration stimulating innovation in the energy sector. However, when emissions surged in 2018, Wheeler credited this rise to an increase in manufacturing and industrial output triggered by Trump’s policies.

Trump’s decision to disclose his debate talking points prematurely left the Biden campaign bewildered.

“Donald Trump is simply sharing his debate talking points,” remarked Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thanks, I guess.”