Major Controversies Surrounding Al Gore: A Detailed Timeline

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Al Gore.

Al Gore is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist best known for serving as the 45th Vice President under Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. Before that, he was a U.S. Senator and a U.S. Representative for Tennessee. Gore was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000, narrowly losing to George W. Bush despite winning the popular vote. Since leaving office, he has been a prominent voice on climate change, raising awareness and advocating for environmental action.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1981: Homosexuality Views

In 1981, Al Gore was quoted as saying with regard to homosexuality, "I think it is wrong".

1984: Senate Race Homosexuality Views

In his 1984 Senate race, Al Gore said he did not believe that homosexuality is simply an acceptable alternative that society should affirm.

1993: Advocacy for Clipper Chip

During 1993 and early 1994, Al Gore advocated for the adoption of the Clipper Chip, a technology developed by the National Security Agency designed to provide law enforcement access to encrypted communications. The initiative was dropped due to political and technical objections.

1996: Involvement in "Chinagate" campaign finance controversy

In 1996, Al Gore was embroiled in the "Chinagate" controversy due to his attendance at a fund-raising event at the Buddhist Hsi Lai Temple. Allegations surfaced that Chinese agents were attempting to funnel foreign contributions to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) before the 1996 presidential campaign, with the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. allegedly serving as a coordination point.

March 1997: Gore explains phone calls to solicit funds for Democratic Party

In March 1997, Al Gore addressed his phone calls made to solicit funds for the Democratic Party for the 1996 election. During a news conference, Gore stated that the calls were charged to the DNC, and he was advised that this was not illegal.

1998: Gore objects to the jailing of Anwar Ibrahim

In 1998, at an APEC conference hosted by Malaysia, Al Gore voiced his disapproval of the indictment, arrest, and jailing of Anwar Ibrahim, who was the second-in-command to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. This move was met with a negative response from leaders present.

1998: FBI agents denied the opportunity to ask President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore questions during Justice Department interviews.

In 1998, during Justice Department interviews, FBI agents were denied the opportunity to ask President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore questions and were only allowed to take notes regarding the fund-raising activities that had been investigated.

1999: Interview about the Internet

In 1999, journalist Eric Boehlert argued that three articles in Wired News led to the creation of the urban legend that Al Gore claimed to have "invented the Internet", which followed this interview.

2000: Lost Presidential Election Despite Winning Popular Vote

In 2000, Al Gore lost the presidential election to George W. Bush despite winning the popular vote. The Supreme Court ruling in Bush v. Gore ended a recount in Florida.

2000: Investigation into Gore's fund-raising controversies

In Spring 2000, Robert Conrad Jr., head of the Justice Department task force, requested Attorney General Janet Reno to appoint an independent counsel to continue the investigation into Al Gore's fund-raising controversies. Reno later judged that such an appointment was unwarranted.

2002: Criticism of Bush Administration Begins

Beginning in 2002, Al Gore began to publicly criticize the Bush administration, particularly regarding the rush to war in Iraq. In a September 23 speech, Gore contrasted the situation with the 1991 Persian Gulf War, in which he had voted in favor of military action.

December 2003: Endorsement of Howard Dean

In December 2003, Al Gore endorsed Vermont Governor Howard Dean for the 2004 U.S. presidential election, weeks before the first primary. This decision was criticized by other Democratic contenders and contributed to Dean's campaign decline.

2004: Accusation of Betrayal by George W. Bush

In 2004, during the presidential election, Al Gore accused George W. Bush of betraying the country by using the 9/11 attacks as a justification for the invasion of Iraq.

2006: Criticism of Domestic Wiretaps and Treatment of Arabs

In 2006, Al Gore criticized President Bush's use of domestic wiretaps without a warrant. One month later, in a speech given at the Jeddah Economic Forum, Gore criticized the treatment of Arabs in the U.S. after 9/11.

2007: Criticism for energy consumption and green energy investments

In 2007, Al Gore faced criticism related to his energy consumption and investments in green energy. Marsha Blackburn and a conservative think tank claimed a conflict of interest due to his advocacy for taxpayer subsidies of green-energy technologies in which he had a personal investment. He was also criticized for above-average energy consumption using private jets and owning large homes.

2007: British court case on An Inconvenient Truth

In 2007, a British judge ruled in a court case that Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" was broadly accurate, upholding its main scientific hypotheses. However, the judge identified nine alleged errors and required amended guidance notes for teachers to balance the film's political views when shown to schoolchildren in the UK.

2008: Shifted Position on Gay Rights

In 2008, Al Gore stated that he thinks gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women and be able to join together in marriage, shifting his position on gay rights.

2008: Wolf Blitzer reflects on the 1999 interview

In 2008, Wolf Blitzer, who conducted the original 1999 interview, stated that Al Gore's comment about creating the Internet was distorted by his enemies, causing a devastating setback to Gore.

2009: Misrepresenting scientific data

During the COP15 climate change conference in Copenhagen in 2009, Al Gore cited research to claim that there was a 75% chance that the entire north polar ice cap could be completely ice-free within the next five to seven years. Reuters found that Gore was guilty of misrepresenting scientific data.

2009: Comments on Dick Cheney's Criticism of Obama Administration

In a 2009 interview with CNN, Al Gore commented on former Vice President Dick Cheney's criticism of the Obama administration, referencing his own past criticism of the Bush administrations and stating that Cheney shouldn't be talking about making the country less safe after invading a country that did not attack the U.S.

2012: Criticism for selling Current TV to Al Jazeera

In 2012, Al Gore was criticized for selling his television channel, Current TV, to Al Jazeera for around $100 million. Al Jazeera is a media company funded by the government of Qatar, a nation largely dependent on income from the fossil fuel industry.