Trump: US needs ‘better deal’ before approving Keystone pipeline

Donald Trump says the United States needs a “better deal” from the developer of the Keystone XL oil pipeline before the project is approved.

At a Tuesday rally in Iowa, the GOP presidential front-runner complained that the United States is “not really getting anything” in return for the controversial project, which President Obama is considering whether to approve seven years after TransCanada Corp. first applied to build it, the Toronto Star reported.

The new position on Keystone contrasts with Trump’s earlier comments that he would approve the Canada-to-Texas pipeline immediately upon taking office, similar to his Republican rivals.

The billionaire mogul also disparaged the oil sands that the pipeline would carry and said the United States’s oil is better.

“We have really great-quality oil. Higher than Canada. You know, they have the tar sands, which is a problem, for them; very expensive to get it out. We have great stuff,” Trump said, using a term for oil sands that environmentalists often use to reinforce their position that the petroleum is dirty.

“So I would approve it, because I love the jobs of building it, I love the jobs of building it, but I may just say, ‘Maybe we should get 10 percent, 15 percent, maybe 20 percent as that oil flows,’ ” he continued.

Keystone’s supporters say the United States would greatly benefit from the project, which would bring thousands of jobs, economic development and lower energy prices.

But Democrats and others have said Canada would be the main beneficiary.

Obama said in December that “it’s not even going to be a nominal benefit to U.S. consumers” but would be a major boon to Canada’s oil sector.