WATCH: CNN’s MJ Lee Presses Psaki About Biden Saying ‘Can’t Do Much Right Now’ About Gas Prices Going Up
CNN White House correspondent MJ Lee pressed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about a remark President Joe Biden made to reporters on a Texas tarmac Tuesday.
As the president posed for photos upon his arrival at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base in Westworth Village, Texas on Tuesday, he responded to one reporter’s queries about rising gas prices:
Q Mr. President, do you have a message for the American people on gas prices?
THE PRESIDENT: They’re going to go up.
Q What can you do about it?
THE PRESIDENT: Can’t do much right now. Russia is responsible.
At Wednesday’s White House press briefing, Ms. Lee asked Ms. Psaki about that exchange, and contrasted it with the president’s remarks on mitigating the price increases from earlier that day. Psaki chalked that contrast up to the rushed setting for the question, and reiterated Biden’s earlier remarks:
MS. LEE: On gas prices —
MS. PSAKI: Yeah.
MS. LEE: — quickly. The President said yesterday, “I’m going to do everything I can to minimize Putin’s price hike here at home.” And then hours later as he was getting off the Air Force One, he said, I “can’t do much about that right now.” “Can’t do much right now.” That was the exact words from the President.
For anyone that might have been confused seeing the two statements from the President within a couple of hours, what would be your explanation? Does the President believe there is action that he can take to address gas prices, or does he believe there’s not much that can be done?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say that the short gaggles when the President is getting off the plane and getting into a car are not always super comprehensive, as I think many of you have experienced. They’re not always extensive.
But what the President said yesterday in his lengthy remarks before his trip and what we have said many times is that there are a range of steps that we will continue to take, including coordinating with the global community about ensuring the supply in the marketplace meets the demand. That includes the release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that he announced a second one just a few weeks ago. That includes continuing to work and coordinate with global oil suppliers around the world, something that his national security team and he is engaged in, in a nearly daily basis. And that includes considering a range of domestic options.
But the oil markets — oil markets are global. Right? And it is all about meeting the supply demands that are out there. And clearly, given the invasion and given the impact of that, we need to look at a range of options, but we’ve already taken a number of steps and we will continue to. And he said that all yesterday morning in the same day.
Watch above via NBC News and The White House.
