Thursday, 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and billionaire hedge fund manager Tom Steyer said if he were to be elected president, he would “declare climate change a national emergency” on his first day.

CNBC “Squawk Box” host Joe Kernen asked Steyer on his history of investing in fossil fuel given the Democratic Party’s fight against the coal industry to combat climate change.

“I’m the person who would declare climate change a national emergency on day one of my presidency,” Steyer stated.

Kernen pushed back against Steyer’s remarks, noting he was not even invited to the CNN town hall on climate change with 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.

“Why would the Democrats want to nominate someone when climate change is so front and center that they have a seven-hour town hall meeting with all the baggage that you have? Why would they nominate you to take that on when they can have someone that, even Jay Inslee, he was at least an elected official, he was a governor of Washington, he ran on climate change. He’s no longer in the race.”

“Because I’m the person who has been working on climate change most successfully for over a decade,” Steyer replied. “Because I’m the person who actually has been taking on the oil companies at the ballot box and beating them. I’m the person taking on the utilities at the ballot box and beating them. I’m the person who actually closed a corporate tax loophole for a billion dollars and used it up to retrofit schools on an energy basis.

He continued, “[I]f you look at the record for the last 10 years, I’m the person who has done this. And my plan recognizes on day one the timing that’s necessary and the need to declare this a state of emergency to protect the health and safety of every American.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent