Joe doesn’t know if he’s coming or going.
President Joe Biden was asked whether he had decided to visit Saudi Arabia to beg the leaders there to release more oil.
“Have you decided whether or not to go to Saudi Arabia,” a reporter asked Biden.
“No, not yet,” the president said.
Twenty seconds later, as Biden spoke with reporters on the tarmac in Los Angeles by the stairs of Air Force One, he was asked why he wasn’t going to Saudi Arabia, with the national average price for a gallon of gas topping $5 for the first time ever.
“What would be holding up the decision at this point? Are there commitments that you’re waiting for from the Saudis?” a reporter asked.
“It happens to be a larger meeting taking place in Saudi Arabia. That’s the reason I’m going,” he said. “It has to do with national security for them [and] for Israelis … It has to do with much larger issues than having to do with the energy.”
The Republican National Committee had some fun with Biden’s contradictory answers. “Joe Biden says he hasn’t decided whether to visit Saudi Arabia, who he previously called ‘a pariah,’ to beg for more oil. 20 seconds later, he says, ‘It happens to be a larger meeting taking place in Saudi Arabia. That’s the reason I’m going.'”
Joe Biden says he hasn't decided whether to visit Saudi Arabia, who he previously called "a pariah," to beg for more oil.
20 seconds later, he says, "It happens to be a larger meeting taking place in Saudi Arabia. That's the reason I'm going." pic.twitter.com/K4bK6eAZAV
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 13, 2022
“Biden’s trip, which is expected to take place around mid-July, could include a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” the Daily Mail reported. “A spokesperson for the National Security Council confirmed a Biden trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia was being planned. ‘We have no further trip details to confirm, but we will announce as soon as we do,’ the spokesperson said.”
Gasoline hit a national average of $5.014 on Monday, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Diesel, meanwhile, hit an average of $5.77, one of several causes for skyrocketing prices for groceries and other goods.
“Energy experts now estimate that for every penny the price of gas increases, it costs Americans an extra $4 million a day, with the average American paying $450 gas month for their fuel needs,” the Mail reported. “And research by the Bank of America Institute, which uses anonymous data from millions of their customers’ credit and debit card accounts, shows spending on gas eating up a larger share of consumers’ budgets and crowding out their ability to buy other items.”
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.