Joe Biden Doubles Down On Claim High Gas Prices Are A Good Thing – President Joe Biden doubled down on a previous suggestion that rising gas prices could be a good thing for America, telling reporters on Monday that the rising costs would be a “good” opportunity to make a “fundamental turn” on clean energy.
The president made the comment to reporters while vacationing in his home state of Delaware, and quickly attracted criticism from conservative pundits, activists, and commentators.
After scolding a reporter for asking whether a recession was inevitable, the president attempted to paint America’s rising gas prices – which exceeded $5 per gallon on average nationwide earlier this month – as a positive thing.
“Out of everything lousy, something good will happen if you look hard enough for it,” the president said.
Biden: "My mother had an expression: out of everything lousy, something good will happen. We have a chance to make a fundamental turn toward renewable energy, electric vehicles, and across the board." pic.twitter.com/Si4oJ7ROFg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 20, 2022
“We have a chance here to make a fundamental turn toward renewable energy, electric vehicles, and not just electric vehicles but across the board,” the president said.
The comments come as the White House reportedly considers a gas tax holiday to help bring prices down, and barely a month after he indicated that rising prices could help the United States shift to more renewable energy sources.
What Did Biden Say In May?
During a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter whether rising gas prices were a sign that a recession was on the cards. The president said that he didn’t believe a recession was coming, and that while the U.S. faces an inflation problem, he believes it is “less consequential than the rest of the world” thanks to the strength of the U.S. economy.
The president then appeared to suggest that rising gas prices will eventually lead to less reliance on fossil fuels.
“And when it comes to the gas prices, we’re going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when it’s over, we’ll be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over,” Biden said.
It was the “incredible transition” comment that drew much ire, and the comment didn’t appear to be a mistake.
Not only did the president indicate that high gas prices could ultimately prove to be a positive thing for the United States, but his cabinet also appears to have adopted the same unpopular line.
When Republican Senator John Barroso of Wyoming asked Interior Secretary Deb Haaland whether gas prices are too high, Haaland refused to answer the question. It prompted Barroso to ask once again, “It sounds like you’re unwilling to say that gas prices are too high.” Haaland still wouldn’t answer.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
