Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) criticized President Joe Biden in a Thursday morning tweet, calling on him to “unleash American energy production” in order to mitigate the still-climbing energy costs.
Noting that high energy costs would cause price increases across other sectors of the economy as well, DeSantis argued that “Bidenflation” could still be stopped if the United States were able to increase domestic energy production and reduce reliance on foreign oil.
“The U.S. hit another 40-year inflation high in February. Bidenflation is driven by skyrocketing energy prices, which fuel price increases throughout the economy, not just for gas. Biden needs to unleash American energy production!” DeSantis tweeted, along with a graph showing the dramatic increase in energy costs.
The U.S. hit another 40-year inflation high in February. Bidenflation is driven by skyrocketing energy prices, which fuel price increases throughout the economy, not just for gas.
Biden needs to unleash American energy production! pic.twitter.com/4Wn1bR6gYQ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 10, 2022
Just two days earlier, DeSantis had called for Biden to return the United States to its previous status of energy independence.
“The Biden Administration needs to listen to Americans & increase domestic energy instead of relying on authoritarian regimes to fuel our country. Gas prices are out of control & people are getting hammered at the pump. The time is now to make America energy independent – again,” he said.
President Biden and his surrogates have repeatedly blamed the spike in energy costs on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his continuing invasion of Ukraine. The administration has pushed the hashtag #PutinPriceHike and attempted to keep the public’s focus on the most recent price jump — which does coincide with the buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine’s border and the subsequent invasion — while ignoring the fact that energy costs have been steadily increasing since Biden took office and killed the Keystone XL Pipeline project.
And Governor DeSantis is far from the only one criticizing President Biden for blaming Putin for skyrocketing energy costs while actively curtailing domestic energy production.
Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro mocked the Biden energy “strategy” in a tweet, saying, “Biden’s plan to lower gas prices: 1. Blame Putin 2. Solicit from Putin’s allied dictator in Venezuela 3. Do nothing to increase domestic production 4. Blame oil companies 5. Blather about windmills and solar panels 6. Ask the Saudis to help while fluffing Iran 7. … 8. VICTORY!”
“Guys, he is just terrible at this. He makes Jimmy Carter look like Abraham Lincoln,” Shapiro added.
Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy has directly challenged press secretary Jen Psaki on increasing domestic production of oil and gas, asking her repeatedly whether or not Biden would open up more leases and permits and whether he would ever consider allowing construction on Keystone XL to restart.
Psaki argued that Keystone would not produce more oil — although it would allow for easier transport of oil from Canada — and claimed that American oil companies already had access to thousands of leases that were not being used.
But as many have pointed out, having access to an approved lease and having a permit to explore or drill for oil are not necessarily the same thing.
Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich explained, “Leases for drilling are not the same thing as permits. You can have tons of leases (WH claims 9000) and no permits. Permits can take ages to get approved by the government, federal and local. Read about the bureaucratic nightmare straight from the Bureau of Land Management.”
Leases for drilling are not the same thing as permits. You can have tons of leases (WH claims 9000) and no permits. Permits can take ages to get approved by the government, federal and local. Read about the bureaucratic nightmare straight from the Bureau of Land Management —> pic.twitter.com/RTIW9fuVfR
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 9, 2022