Climate activist Kai Newkirk says he is ready and willing to meet with President Biden about his climate policies following the activist’s disruption of the president’s speech in Arizona Thursday.
“I couldn’t hear Biden’s offer to meet with the people yelling at me, but I would gladly have accepted the offer and still do if it stands,” Mr. Newkirk wrote on X.
He wrote earlier that he offered his apologies to his “Arizona Democratic Party friends for the disruption.”
“Nonviolent protest is part of democracy,” he wrote. “And my fundamental loyalty is to the poor and working class people, indigenous people, and frontline [communities] bearing the deadly brunt of this crisis.”
Mr. Biden was at Arizona State University to give a speech on democracy and announce the use of American Rescue Plan funding to create a library at the university in honor of the late Sen. John McCain, when Mr. Newkirk started yelling his questions about climate change.
“Why have you yet to declare a climate emergency?” Mr. Newkirk shouted from the crowd. “Hundreds of Arizonians have died.”
SEE ALSO: Biden tells climate activist to ‘shush up’ during speech on democracy
The disturbance was quickly met with a reaction from the crowd, mostly boos, before the president stepped in.
“Why don’t you wait — hang on a second, I’d be happy to meet with you after I speak OK?” Mr. Biden said from the podium.
When Newkirk continued, Mr. Biden responded: “I’ll tell you what, if you shush up, I’ll meet with you immediately after this, OK?”
Mr. Newkirk revealed that he had not heard the president’s offer because he was leaving as staff came to remove him.
“I would’ve loved to meet w/ POTUS to speak heart to heart,” he wrote on X. “But Secret Service & Tempe Police escorted me off property.”
In a statement, the activist revealed that he voted for Mr. Biden because of his climate promises, but showed up to interrupt his speech “to ask why he has yet to declare a climate emergency,” and “why he’s broken his promise of no new drilling on federal lands.”
He also wrote that he would’ve ended his heckling and waited for the president to finish if he had heard Mr. Biden’s offer.
The White House did not immediately respond for comment to The Washington Times on whether or not Mr. Biden has plans to meet with him.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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