Washington Gov. Jay Inslee participates in the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates on Wednesday in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee participates in the second of two Democratic presidential primary debates on Wednesday in the Fox Theatre in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Inslee confronts Biden over climate crisis in second debate

“Our house is on fire! Get off coal. Save this country and the planet, that’s what I’m for.”

06:29

By Jim Brunner / The Seattle Times

In what could be his final appearance on a presidential debate stage, Gov. Jay Inslee clashed with former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday over the urgency of confronting a looming climate crisis, warning “our house is on fire.”

The exchange came after discussion of climate was delayed for more than an hour and a half at the debate in Detroit, while candidates argued over health care and immigration, and beat up on one another’s records.

Entering the debate, Inslee pronounced himself “mad as hell” that the existential threat posed by rising global temperatures had not gotten the attention it deserved during the previous night’s debate featuring 10 other Democratic candidates.

When CNN moderators did turn to the subject Wednesday, Inslee made the case for swift action, citing his visits to families whose homes have burned to the ground in forest fires, and to a polluted Detroit neighborhood near a refinery, with elevated levels of cancer and asthma.

“We have to act now, climate change is not a singular issue, it is all the issues that we Democrats care about,” Inslee said. “It is health, it is national security, it is our economy.”

He called for a “national mobilization” to move to 100% clean energy, which he said would create 8 million union jobs. He criticized “middle-ground approaches,” like those proposed by Biden, as “too little too late.”

Biden defended his plans, saying he has called for the immediate rejoining of the Paris Climate accord, which President Donald Trump withdrew from, as well as $400 billion in spending on clean energy research and innovation.

Inslee responded: “Your argument is not with me, it’s with science. We have to get off coal in 10 years. Your plan does not do that.”

Biden again responded, saying his plan would end fossil-fuel subsidies while engaging other countries that account for the majority of greenhouse-gas emissions. In response to a moderator question, Biden said there would be no place for coal or fracking in his administration. “We would work it out. We would make sure it’s eliminated.”

That sparked Inslee, in his most animated moment of the debate, to turn to Biden, his voice rising to a near holler as he called for more immediate action. “We cannot work this out! The time is up. Our house is on fire!” Inslee said. “Get off coal. Save this country and the planet, that’s what I’m for.”

Positioned near the right side of the stage at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, Inslee found himself passed over early on as moderators turned again and again to Biden and other higher-polling contenders, including California Sen. Kamala Harris and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

Inslee spoke for nearly 11 minutes, the fifth most of the 10 candidates on the stage, according to The New York Times. In the first debate in June, he spoke for only five minutes.

In contrast to his usual sunny demeanor, Inslee appeared frustrated and frowning for much of the night. Midway through the debate, with climate still not raised, his campaign Twitter account vented: “my head is going to explode.”

Inslee got a chance to weigh in on other topics, too, including a testy debate over whether to decriminalize border crossings, as some Democrats suggest. Biden opposed the idea, drawing attacks from Julián Castro and others who said more humane enforcement could happen in civil courts.

When asked to comment, Inslee didn’t say whether he’d decriminalize border crossings. He instead took aim at Trump. “We can no longer allow a white nationalist to be in the White House,” Inslee said, to cheers from the audience. He boasted of welcoming Syrian refugees to Washington state and of opposing Trump’s “Muslim ban.”

He returned to climate in his closing remarks, casting the stakes in apocalyptic terms.

“Under Donald Trump we face a looming catastrophe, but it is not too late, we have one last chance,” he said. “The survival of humanity on this planet and civilization as we know it is in the hands of the next president.”

Inslee has released a series of ambitious and detailed plans — totaling 169 pages — for how he’d marshal the authority of the federal government to swiftly draw down reliance on fossil fuels, and transform the U.S. into a clean-energy economy.

He has called for ending sales of new gas-fueled cars by 2030, phasing out coal-fired power plants by the same year, and achieving zero-emission energy by 2035.

His climate platform has been praised as the gold standard by environmental and progressive groups. But such praise has not translated into support among Democratic primary voters. As of Wednesday, he was not among the top 20 candidates in polling averages tracked by the online news site RealClearPolitics.

To qualify for the next Democratic debate in September, Inslee would have to register at 2% support in four polls — a mark he has never reached. He also needs 130,000 individual donors to his campaign, a mark his aides have said is within reach.

Seattle Times staff reporter David Gutman contributed to this report.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Northwest

A combine at work in wheat fields in the Walla Walla region during 2018. (Washington State Department of Agriculture)
State halts rebates to farmers hit with fuel fees under WA climate law

Instead, a new online directory shows retailers who provide the farm fuel exemption by not imposing surcharges.

Washington transportation officials say a lack of funding means dollars intended for preservation and maintenance are the ones diverted to deal with emergency situations. Before (left) and after (right) photos of the mudslide and cleanup on State Route 20 following an Aug. 11 mudslide. (Washington State Department of Transportation)
‘Early stages of critical failure’: Outlook grim for road upkeep

Billions more dollars are needed for preserving highways and bridges, WSDOT says. The agency’s leader didn’t request more maintenance money for 2026.

Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown, seen here during a January interview, is sparring with members of Congress over the state’s immigration policy (Photo by Ryan Berry/Washington state Standard)
Washington AG pushing new law to protect workers from immigration raids

The proposal would require businesses to tell employees if ICE is coming to inspect company records in search of employees who are not legally able to work in the country.

A helicopter conducts bucket drops over the Bear Gulch Fire. (Olympic National Forest)
WA officials take stock as wildfire season winds down

With fall weather dampening wildland fire conditions in Washington, officials are beginning… Continue reading

WA’s food aid program for infants and mothers now funded through October

When the federal shutdown began Oct. 1, officials said money for the benefits could run out in a couple of weeks.

Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown speaks at a press conference alongside Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and other local officials on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, at Seattle City Hall. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
‘Stay out of Seattle’: WA leaders tell Trump troops aren’t needed

Local officials fear Seattle could be the next city to see a deployment as the Trump administration prepares to send the National Guard into Portland, Oregon.

A different utility lines branch off in different directions from a utility pole along Railroad Avenue in 2024 in Skykomish. A bill proposed this year looked to add civil penalties for scrapyards that make deals for stolen copper used in telecommunication cables, but it failed to gain traction in the Legislature despite bipartisan support. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Utilities and telecoms turn to WA lawmakers for help as copper wire theft surges

Legislators are looking at tougher penalties and new requirements for scrapyards.

The Washington state Capitol on Nov. 11, 2024. (Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)
New sales tax on services in Washington takes effect Wednesday

A slate of other tax and fee hikes also kicks in Oct. 1, including on major financial institutions and to fund transportation.

Oregon sues to block Trump from sending National Guard to Portland

Oregon and the city of Portland are suing President Donald Trump to… Continue reading

The Rimrock Retreat Fire burned through the Oak Creek drainage in Yakima County in 2024, but the damage was minimal due to tree thinning and prescribed burns the Department of Natural Resources completed in the area with House Bill 1168 funding before the fire. (Emily Fitzgerald/Washington State Standard)
Lands commissioner wants $100M boost for wildfire funding

Washington’s public lands commissioner is asking the Legislature for roughly $100 million… Continue reading

Dr. Mehmet Oz testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill, in Washington, March 14. (Anna Rose Layden/The New York Times)
AI reviews rolling out for Medicare in WA for some procedures

The federal government will test a new model for the often maligned prior authorization process in Washington and other states.

The Washington state Capitol on July 25, 2025. (Photo by Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)
‘All bad news’: WA tax receipts expected to slide further

Projected tax revenue is down more than $500 million since the Legislature passed its latest two-year budget. One lead budget writer isn’t ruling out further tax increases next year.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.