In a post on X, Tom Steyer declared that polluters in California will have to pay if he is elected governor. According to the message, the candidate has spent the past 15 years taking on Big Oil and corporate interests. The statement has drawn strong reactions online, with users divided over his environmental record and policy promises.
The declaration was shared in a post on X by the California gubernatorial candidate @TomSteyer.
The video shows Steyer declaring that polluters must pay for the damage they cause. He states that we absolutely cannot allow people to pollute, emit, cause huge pain to others, and not pay for it. You can’t pollute in our state if you can’t pay. If the US government wants to pollute, fine, send us the money. Exxon wants to pollute in our state, fine, send us the money. It is not free anymore because our houses are burning down, and you guys are the ones causing the problem.
According to the accompanying post text, Steyer has spent the past 15 years taking on Big Oil and corporate interests. He pledges that if he is elected governor, polluters in California will have to pay. The video does not show the setting or audience for the remarks, and it is not clear from the post whether this is a new speech or an excerpt from an earlier event.
Steyer’s Polluters-Pay Pledge Meets California’s Online Firestorm
Some users challenged Steyer’s claims about his record. One commenter wrote, “Ok, Tom, where did you make your money and beyond that if you’ve been taking on Big Oil and such for 15 years you haven’t seemed to accomplish Nonsense….”
Others raised concerns about potential policy outcomes. One stated, “By taking on big oil, he means giving Californians the highest gas prices in the country… I don’t need more of this kind of help from a billionaire trying to buy an election…” Another said, “I’m not voting for anyone who wants to collect more money on behalf of the government.”
One user offered support, commenting, “Yes! Thank you for your leadership on this! Big Oil is already gouging at the pump — we don’t also need to pick up the price for their pollution.”
The post continues to circulate on X as Steyer positions himself in the California gubernatorial race. It has become one more flashpoint in the state’s long-running debate over pollution, energy costs, and corporate accountability.
