Is the Choice '$5.00-a-Gallon Gas or a $61,000 Electric Car?' Jean-Pierre: 'That's Apples and Oranges' (June 23, 2022)

With gas near $5 a gallon, a reporter Jean-Pierre called Peter pressed her on the cost of going green. “And the President, yesterday, was talking about this transition to greener energy someday. A lot of people can’t afford a $60,000 electric car, and they also are having a hard time affording gas right now. That sounds like a painful transition. So how much of that kind of pain is the President okay with?” the reporter asked at the White House briefing on June 23, 2022 [1].

“No, that transition — we are in a transition to clean energy. That is something that — that is important,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered, according to the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

“But right now, who can afford an electric car? The average price is $61,000,” the reporter said. “Is that a realistic — is that the choice: $5.00-a-gallon gas or a $61,000 electric car?” [1]

“That is not — first of all, you’re — that’s apples and oranges. It is not the same,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

The video above shows the exchange at the June 23, 2022, briefing. Quotes are from the American Presidency Project and the Federal Register [1][2].

”They Were a Mile Away”

It started with a blunt question. “Thank you, Karine. The President isn’t really doing everything he can to bring gas prices down, is he?” the reporter asked. “I feel like there’s a — what — is there something else to the question? (Laughs.)” Jean-Pierre answered. “Oh, there’s a lot to the question,” the reporter said [1].

The reporter noted that Biden was meeting offshore wind installers instead of oil executives: “he’s meeting today with people installing offshore wind equipment but not oil and gas CEOs who are rarely ever in town, but they are today. So how did that help lower gas prices?” [1]

Jean-Pierre and the reporter talked over each other. “You said he’s done everything in his power. They were a mile away,” the reporter said. “Peter, you’re asking me a question. Let me — can I — may I answer?” Jean-Pierre said [1].

”No More Drilling on Federal Lands”

The reporter had started with Biden’s own campaign words. “The President said, as a candidate, ‘No more drilling on federal lands. No more drilling, including offshore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period.’ Wouldn’t that — aren’t some of those things that would bring the price of gas down now?” [1]

“Well, let me tell you how we got here, since you just said how we got here,” Jean-Pierre said. She blamed the pandemic and the refiners: “Due to a decreased demand at the start of the pandemic, U.S. oil companies reduced production and refining capacity, which is what I was just saying, Peter.” [1]

“In fact, we produced more oil in the first year of the President’s administration than in the first two years of the previous administration,” she said [1].

”Putin’s War”

Jean-Pierre also blamed Russia. “So we have seen gas prices go up by $2.00 a gallon. One of the reasons we have seen that — the reason we have seen that is because of Russia’s war in — in Ukraine,” she said [1].

She pointed to the oil reserve. “He made his- — he made a historic choice to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — 1 million barrels a day — and that was for six months,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

”Gas Tax Holiday”

Her answer to the pain at the pump was a tax break that needed Congress. “What we’re trying to do right now is to deal with an acute problem right now, which is why the President, again, asked for a 90-day suspension of the gas tax — the gas tax holiday. It is going to make a difference,” she said [1].

“Peter, we’re talking about 18 cents on the federal — on the federal level; we’re talking about an average of 30 cents on the state level,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

“And if the oil refinery does their job, if they do what we are asking them to do, which is put their profits back in so that gas prices can go down — that’s almost $1.00 per gallon,” she said [1].

”Refinery Capacity”

Another reporter pointed out that refiners were already running hard. “On refinery capacity, refiners right now are operating at about 93, 94 percent capacity,” the reporter said [1].

By the Numbers

$61,000: the average electric car price the reporter cited [1].
$5.00: a gallon of gas, in the reporter’s question [1].
90 days: the gas tax suspension Biden asked for [1].
18 cents: the federal gas tax per gallon, per Jean-Pierre [1].
93 to 94 percent: refinery capacity in use, per a reporter [1].

What Happened Next

Trump moved to end the EV mandate. On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy.” Its stated policy includes “to eliminate the ‘electric vehicle (EV) mandate’ and promote true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation, by removing regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access.” [2]

The order also calls for “terminating, where appropriate, state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles.” [2]

For Kirby’s “9,000 unused drilling permits” eight days earlier, see HYGO News’ page on June 15, 2022. For Biden’s tailpipe rule a year later, see the page on April 18, 2023.