President Joe Biden declared that his government will use the US strategic petroleum reserve for the first time, calling it the largest-ever release from the reserve, although he seemed to dismiss reporters' inquiries.
Earlier this week, a White House official stated that the US might release 50 million barrels to address increasing gasoline prices. The president, however, refused to accept any questions, much to the dismay of the White House press corps.
Gas prices remain at high
Biden assured reporters after his address that he would have "plenty of time to talk to [them] later," The Independent reported. Biden tried to provide context for rising gas prices, saying that comparable surges occurred in 2012, 2014, and 2019.
In recent weeks, Biden has been bothered by rising gas prices, and he has even recognized that inflation has become a concern in people's daily life. The national average for gas prices is $3.40, which is $1.29 more than a year ago. The average price of petrol in some states, such as California, is $4.70.
As inflation rises, Biden's poll numbers have dwindled. According to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News earlier this month, 48 percent of Americans blamed the president for rising costs "a great deal" or "a good amount," compared to 50 percent of those polled.
According to Biden, one of the main reasons why gas prices are so high is because oil-producing countries have not expanded their supply of oil to meet rising demand. India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan have all agreed to release oil from their reserves, according to the president, and China may do even more.
At the same time, the president chastised oil firms for paying less for oil and making more while failing to pass the savings on to consumers. Similarly, Biden claimed that rising gas costs were not the result of his environmental programs.
Biden ignores reporters' questions during speech
During a Tuesday speech about rising gas costs, President Joe Biden seemed to read technical instructions off his teleprompter. Biden made the remark during a speech about rising gas prices and the economy, as well as a Thanksgiving statement.
Per Fox News, he subsequently informed the press that he had to go to volunteer at a soup kitchen and that he couldn't answer any questions, causing one reporter to yell, "When will you answer our questions?"
The Biden administration has been consistently chastised for the president's lack of control over his communications. Biden's briefing on wildfires with federal and state authorities in Boise, Idaho, was suddenly cut off by the White House in September. Biden is also releasing 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which will be joined by equivalent releases from China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, according to the White House.
On the other hand, the president has previously dismissed the proposal, stating in October that unlocking the reserve would lower petrol prices by "maybe 18 cents or so a gallon, but it'll still be above $3," as per Washington Examiner. The idea that rising gas prices are due to environmental measures is fiction, according to Biden, who also claims that electric cars may save up to $1,000 per year on gasoline expenses and that the move to renewable energy would generate employment.
The president's almost 10-minute speech had a more upbeat tone for the duration of it, as he emphasized how grocery stores and big-box retailers are stocked with everything from turkey to bicycles and ice skates for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Biden has been blasted for failing to do more to boost energy production while continuing to pursue a spending plan that Republicans and others have labeled inflationary.
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