While campaigning for his wife in Ohio on Friday, former President Bill Clinton recalled going to West Virginia during the primaries and said the miners there blamed climate change for the loss of their jobs.
"They believe climate change cost them all the coal jobs, and they think I sold them out after they voted for me twice, because I agree with it, too," he said.
This is after he said Hillary Clinton made him visit the state.
"Hillary made me go–although I wanted to–to West Virginia," he said.
He then explained that he went to West Virginia, knowing that they were not going to win the state in the primary. Clinton wound up getting trounced there by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.).
"She said, ‘We can't win there in the primaries,’" he said. "I said, ‘no way.’ They–they're mad at you for supporting the president. She said, ‘I want you to go anyways. I said, ‘good girl, I do too.’ And I went down there. So, all these guys were like, screaming at me, you know, outside and all that. I said, ‘Guys, you did real well when I was president, so, come inside, at least, and scream at me. We'll talk about it.’"
This is not the first time a Clinton was protested by miners while out on the campaign trail.
Hillary Clinton faced sharp criticism from the industry during the primaries. One referenced a comment that Clinton said at a town hall where she said her policies were going to put coal miners out of business.
"I just want to know how you can say you’re going to put a lot of coal miners out of jobs and then come in here and tell us how you’re going to be our friend, because those people out there don’t see you as a friend," the miner said.
Bill Clinton also mocked coal miners in early September while campaigning for his wife in Wyoming, referring to the "coal people" supporting Republican nominee Donald Trump.