The Biden Administration continues to blame everything but itself for inflation and high gas prices. In a Saturday tweet, Biden blamed “the companies running gas stations” for the pain at the pump —but one oil industry group hit back.
“My message to the companies running gas stations and setting prices at the pump is simple: this is a time of war and global peril. Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now,” Biden’s people tweeted.
My message to the companies running gas stations and setting prices at the pump is simple: this is a time of war and global peril.
Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now.
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 2, 2022
The U.S. Oil & Gas Association hit back, claiming that Biden & Co. have no idea how the economy works.
“Working on it Mr. President. In the meantime – have a Happy 4th and please make sure the WH intern who posted this tweet registers for Econ 101 for the fall semester…”
Working on it Mr. President. In the meantime – have a Happy 4th and please make sure the WH intern who posted this tweet registers for Econ 101 for the fall semester… https://t.co/6yLpbDDRKc
— US Oil & Gas Association (@US_OGA) July 3, 2022
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also hit back at Biden for the tweet; Bezos says it’s either misdirection or misunderstanding.
“Ouch. Inflation is far too important a problem for the White House to keep making statements like this. It’s either straight ahead misdirection or a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics,” Bezos tweeted.
Ouch. Inflation is far too important a problem for the White House to keep making statements like this. It’s either straight ahead misdirection or a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics. https://t.co/XgKfEICZpk
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) July 3, 2022
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, defended Biden.
“Anybody that knows President Biden knows he’s plain-spoken and he tells exactly what he’s thinking in terms that everybody can understand,” Kirby said. “So, I think, we obviously take great exception of the idea that this is somehow misdirection.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also spoke out on Biden’s behalf.
“I guess it’s not surprising that you think oil and gas companies using market power to reap record profits at the expense of the American people is the way our economy is supposed to work,” KJP tweeted.
But I guess it’s not surprising that you think oil and gas companies using market power to reap record profits at the expense of the American people is the way our economy is supposed to work.
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) July 3, 2022