During a press briefing at the White House this Friday, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy questioned why President Joe Biden was touting recent decreases in gas prices across the United States.
Doocy, in a way that sounded profoundly out-of-touch, attempted to basically characterize recent decreases in prices at gas pumps as not enough to matter or at least be worth touting as Biden did. Sure, for gas prices to reach a level that’s over three-quarters of a dollar below a recently seen average means everyday Americans are seeing real relief, but for Doocy, something else perceptibly damaging — high gas prices compared to history — apparently meant there wasn’t any reason for acknowledging progress.
“Why is the President bragging today about gas prices?” Doocy asked. “Because it’s gone down,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre replied. “It’s still $1.72 higher than when he took office,” Doocy shot back. Nobody said it wasn’t, Peter. Amid globally reverberating crises like the war between Russia and Ukraine along with significant impacts to key supply chains, prices have risen in countries around the world. For gas costs to shrink is clearly a cause for acknowledging the success that’s been achieved. “It’s still over $4 a gallon though,” Doocy asked. “Is that good?” The ridiculousness of Doocy suggesting that getting gas prices down the better part of a dollar isn’t even all-that-meaningful is just staggering. Two things can be true: lower gas prices are significant, and for gas prices to be higher than historical levels is dismal. It’s not difficult.
Jean-Pierre continued with the following: “I’m saying that even that little bit of breathing room matters to families, especially during the summer when people are traveling, when people are trying to do what they can for their families, when people are trying to think about, “What are we going to do with our kids?” — driving to camp, driving to see other family members across the country. This matters. When you think about 85 cents per month for a family member, you think that doesn’t matter for everyday Americans? That matters. And the reason we’re seeing that is because of the work that this President has done the last several months. It’s because of the historic tapping of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — 1 million gallons per day until September. That matters. Because of all the work that he continues to do when it comes to inflation.” It’s in character for Doocy to try making lower gas prices into some kind of political attack on the administration. Watch Doocy below:
Fox News’ Peter Doocy wrangles with WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over gas prices.
Doocy: “Why is the president bragging today about gas prices?”
Jean-Pierre: “Because it’s gone down.” pic.twitter.com/3D49EfS7uC
— The Recount (@therecount) August 5, 2022
