President Joe Biden has a message for those evil mom-and-pop gasoline station owners: Cut your prices now! In recent months, the administration has routinely pointed the finger at the people who flip the numbers on the sign instead of exploring the root cause of the nation’s energy woes. This time, the president’s random afternoon tweet caught the attention of billionaire Jeff Bezos and a Chinese state journalist.
Even more comical about Biden’s remarks is that they came after the US government canceled another oil and gas lease sale.
What is going on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?
A Tweet Day Afternoon
“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,” Biden tweeted July 2. “Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now.”
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos took exception to these comments, replying that they demonstrated “either straight ahead misdirection or a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics.” This prompted a reaction from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who argued that the current situation is “not ‘basic market dynamics.’
It’s a market that is failing the American consumer.” She was referring to a recent price drop in crude oil, which was not reflected in similarly falling prices at the pump.
Many mocked Jean-Pierre and Biden’s statements, alluding to officials’ paucity of understanding of the energy industry’s intricacies. However, Biden did find support from Chen Weihua, a columnist and bureau chief for state-run China Daily EU, who tweeted: “Now U.S. President finally realized that capitalism is all about exploitation. He didn’t believe this before.”
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04.24.2024