When President Joe Biden took office in January of 2021, Americans were paying less than $3 a gallon for gas.
The numbers seem almost impossible to remember now, but according to Energy Information Administration data, the national average price of a gallon of gasoline was only $2.42.
Now, with the national average of a price of a gallon of gas at $4.36, according to AAA, Biden is spiking the football.
In a series of tweets sent between Friday and Sunday, the president patted himself on the back because American drivers are no longer in the cataclysmic days of $5-a-gallon gas from a month ago and have reached the point where fuel is only 80 percent more expensive than it was when he took office.
(This is hardly the only tin-eared moment from the Biden administration when it comes to gas prices, particularly considering the White House’s focus on green energy over saving Americans money at the pump. Here at The Western Journal, we’ve chronicled this president’s failures on energy production — and we’ll continue to do so. You can help us by subscribing.)
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Even if the president hasn’t made his public presence felt since he tested positive for COVID-19 last week, his communications team has kept the hot air going on Twitter.
On Friday, for instance, there was this: “Gas prices have declined by an average of 60 cents per gallon over the past 38 days. Five straight weeks of gas prices coming down.”
Gas prices have declined by an average of 60 cents per gallon over the past 38 days.
Five straight weeks of gas prices coming down.
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 22, 2022
This seemed an odd thing to celebrate, considering that it was falling from that $5-a-gallon mark — a psychic dollar barrier that, when broken, reminded everyone of how out-of-control things really were.
But, no — he wasn’t done yet. On Sunday, when the price had fallen by another 5cents nationally, we got this from the presidential account: “Make that 65 cents down over 40 days.” As The Hill noted, that meant it sat at $4.36.
Make that 65 cents down over 40 days. https://t.co/js2oPq5Z1W
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 24, 2022
On his personal account, ol’ Uncle Joe shared one of those interminable Twitter bromides meant to highlight how blue-collar he once was.
“I grew up in a family where if the price of gas went up, we felt it,” the tweet read.
“Gas prices have dropped since mid-June and should continue to come down in the days and weeks ahead. I know those extra dollars and cents mean something.”
I grew up in a family where if the price of gas went up, we felt it.
Gas prices have dropped since mid-June and should continue to come down in the days and weeks ahead. I know those extra dollars and cents mean something.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 24, 2022
OK, Mr. President, the Republican National Committee’s RNC Research account asked: What about the “extra dollars and cents” Americans have been spending since you were astonished the price of gas was $3.42 in November?
On November 10, Biden expressed astonishment at the high price of gas when a gallon cost $3.42.
Today, gas costs $4.41 and he’s bragging about it…pic.twitter.com/aqi36NkfI1
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 23, 2022
This brought to mind two other moments from the past year regarding gas prices, neither of them good.
The first was this infamous tweet from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Dec. 3, celebrating a two-cent drop in gas prices over two weeks.
Thanks, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/0iHwTLv7fB
— DCCC (@dccc) December 2, 2021
“Thanks, @JoeBiden.”
Well, I guess they learned their lesson from that mistake, so now Joe’s thanking himself.
But then, when prices skyrocket, the president isn’t responsible. Remember this hit from back during the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war?
REPORTER: What can you do about skyrocketing gas prices?
BIDEN: “Can’t do much right now. Russia’s responsible.” pic.twitter.com/UZrBUEsliQ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 8, 2022
Like so much else, this was “Putin’s price hike” when gas prices were going up. When they were going down, however, it was because the White House was on top of energy policy.
In this case, one could argue the opposite is true. An analyst told MarketWatch that “demand weakness against historical seasonal strength is pressing retail prices lower,” meaning that Americans were traveling less than in summers past due to high prices.
“Government data show gasoline consumption consistently below year ago since early June, and the difference has widened. For the four weeks through mid-July, gasoline consumption is 720,000 barrels a day, or 7.6 percent, less than year ago,” said analyst Brian Milne.
Meanwhile, even though refiners are pulling back on their capacity because of the decreased demand, refinery utilization is still high — meaning that stocks of available product are building up.
Is Joe Biden responsible for high gas prices?
The Biden administration’s release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, meanwhile, has been mostly toothless — and lest we forget, there’s a good chance we wouldn’t even be in this situation had Biden not declared war on the nation’s domestic energy production from the day he took office, canceling pipeline permits, refusing new energy exploration leases and making it clear that he wanted energy companies to shift away from oil drilling and refining posthaste to prepare for the new fossil-fuel-free future.
He claims he’s not responsible when prices go over $5 a gallon, but when prices are going down because Americans are canceling their summer travel plans and living more austerely, the president spikes the football on $4.36-a-gallon gas?
Just don’t ask him about how it was $2.42 when he took office.
