Doocy: “What Was the Point of This Trip?” — No Peace Talks, No Oil Commitment; KJP Takes Gas “Victory Lap” While Prices Still Up From Inauguration

On 7/19/2022, Doocy asked the question on everyone’s mind after Biden’s Middle East trip: “No new peace talks. No new commitment to increase oil production. So what was the point?” KJP touted 34 straight days of declining gas prices while acknowledging they were still far higher than when Biden took office. She dismissed Manchin’s inflation concerns about the reconciliation bill as not “credible,” said she was “not an economic expert,” and had no timeline for climate executive actions. Formula remained 20% out of stock months into the crisis.

”What Was the Point?”

Doocy delivered the sharpest post-trip assessment. “We get back from this trip — there’s no new peace talks in the Middle East, there’s no new commitment to increase oil production in the Gulf. So what was the point of this trip?” Doocy asked.

KJP listed talking points but could not cite a concrete deliverable. “We are confident that we will be able to measure how the success of those conversations the President had in the next several weeks,” she said.

“Why not insist on a commitment? He gets back with no commitment and the price of oil per barrel shot up. Is that what the President wanted?” Doocy pressed.

KJP pivoted to the 34-day decline in gas prices. Doocy caught the double standard. “Are they still higher than when you guys took office though?” he asked.

“We have to look at the impact of how we got there. There are outside factors that have led to gas prices going up,” KJP said — continuing to blame Russia and external forces rather than administration policy.

”Not a Victory Lap” — But It Was

KJP insisted the White House was not celebrating. “We’re not doing a victory lap, but this is important,” she said of declining prices. She cited “$25 a month” in savings for American families.

But a reporter noted the fragility. “Many industry analysts think this could be just a temporary reprieve — prices could very well be going up again in the fall. Oil was trading above $100 today,” the reporter said.

Manchin’s Inflation Concerns “Not Credible”

A reporter asked whether the White House regarded Manchin’s stated concern about inflation as “credible” given that he had killed the reconciliation bill over it. KJP dismissed it.

“We have heard from economic experts — even Jason Furman, folks critical of us — who have said the opposite, that the president’s plan will actually bring down inflation. An anti-inflation bill, if you will,” KJP said. “I am not an economic expert, but they have said themselves this is an anti-inflation bill.”

“I don’t really see Senator Manchin’s claim as credible,” KJP added. “I am not a spokesperson for Senator Joe Manchin. I am a spokesperson for the President of the United States.”

Formula Still 20% Out of Stock

Months into the baby formula crisis, the problem persisted. “Recent data indicates that more than 20 percent of formula products are still out of stock,” a reporter noted. “What’s the White House’s assessment of why, given weeks of formula being flown into the country?”

“The federal government has worked in lockstep with the private sector to ramp up domestic production and increase supply,” KJP said. “This continues to be a priority. We want to make sure safety is first.”

Climate Actions: No Timeline

With Manchin blocking climate legislation, reporters asked about executive action. “Does the administration have executive orders ready, or does there need to be a process?” a reporter asked.

“I don’t have a timeline for you. I’m not going to comment on any specific action. I don’t want to get ahead of the policy process,” KJP said.

“Has the administration been preparing for this contingency?” the reporter pressed.

“I’m not getting ahead of the policy process,” KJP repeated.

”Did You Waste Your Time on Manchin?”

A reporter asked bluntly: “Do you have any reason to believe you didn’t waste your time trying to get Senator Manchin on board for climate legislation?”

“I’m just not going to get into private conversations,” KJP said.

Key Takeaways

Doocy asked “what was the point?” of Biden’s Middle East trip after it produced no peace talks and no oil production commitments — and oil prices rose.
KJP touted 34 days of declining gas prices while acknowledging they remained far higher than when Biden took office, blaming “outside factors.”
She dismissed Manchin’s inflation concerns about the reconciliation bill as not “credible,” calling it “an anti-inflation bill” while admitting “I am not an economic expert.”
Baby formula remained 20% out of stock months into the crisis despite emergency imports.
KJP had no timeline for climate executive actions and would not say whether the Manchin negotiations had been a waste of time.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

No new peace talks. No new commitment to increase oil production. What was the point of this trip?
Gas prices have gone down 34 straight days. Are they still higher than when you took office? We have to look at outside factors.
I don’t see Senator Manchin’s claim as credible. I am not an economic expert. But experts say this is an anti-inflation bill.
More than 20 percent of formula products are still out of stock. This continues to be a priority.
Do you have a timeline for climate executive action? I’m not getting ahead of the policy process.
Did you waste your time on Manchin? I’m not going to get into private conversations.

Full transcript: 1228 words transcribed via Whisper AI.