During Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s first official daily briefing and press conference held on Monday afternoon, the spokesman for Trump’s White House announced that the President would support any and all efforts to extract energy sources from the United States, including the suspended Dakota Access Pipeline.
The statement from Spicer on the DAPL is a significant one, foremost because the pipeline has been subject to widespread protest and push-back from Standing Rock Native Americans, water protectors, and activists who continue to occupy the land.
“I’m not going to get in front of the President’s executive actions, but I will tell you that areas like the Dakota and Keystone pipeline areas that we can increase jobs, increase economic grown, and tap into America’s energy supply. That’s something that he’s been very clear about.”
This is yet another major blow to the water protectors who fought long and hard to achieve the victory against the pipeline. Though the indication from the Trump administration is daunting, it is not unexpected.
Most feared that a Trump administration would be in support of the corporation attempting to build the pipeline, but currently, a required environmental and cultural impact survey is required by the former Obama Administration before the pipeline can be completed.
Even if the DAPL stays halted, the message from the White House is clear: energy is foremost, and your protests don’t matter.
