KJP Refuses to Comment on OPEC+ Production Cut, Credits Biden’s “Historic Actions” for Lower Gas Prices

On 10/10/2022, a reporter pressed White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on OPEC+‘s expected production cut of one million barrels per day and whether it would endanger global supplies. KJP refused to comment on any “OPEC actual until OPEC acts,” then pivoted to crediting Biden’s “historic actions” for energy prices declining “sharply from their highs” — even as oil prices were rising on OPEC+ cut expectations and Americans were still paying significantly more at the pump than when Biden took office.

Reporter: “Would a Production Cut Endanger Global Supplies?”

A reporter laid out the situation directly. “Oil prices are up today on the expectation that OPEC Plus is going to cut production by an estimated million barrels a day,” the reporter said. “Would a production cut endanger global supplies? And how does the President plan to respond?”

The question was straightforward: OPEC+, the cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, was expected to announce its largest production cut since the pandemic — a move that would tighten global oil supplies, push prices higher, and undermine the Biden administration’s months-long effort to bring down gas prices before the midterm elections. The timing was particularly damaging given that Biden had traveled to Saudi Arabia just months earlier in a widely criticized visit that critics said yielded nothing.

KJP: “We’re Not Going to Comment Until OPEC Acts”

Rather than address the implications of the production cut, KJP deflected. “So just to be very clear here on that piece, we’re just not going to comment on any OPEC actual until OPEC acts, as you all know,” KJP said.

The refusal to comment was notable given that the administration had been actively lobbying OPEC+ members for months to increase production, not cut it. Biden had personally appealed to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his July visit to Jeddah — a trip the president took despite having previously vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The expected cut was widely interpreted as a rebuke of Biden’s diplomatic efforts.

“In any event, we will continue to take steps to protect American consumers,” KJP added — without specifying what those steps would be.

”Historic Actions” and “Declined Sharply”

KJP then pivoted to her prepared talking points, crediting Biden for lower prices. “Our focus, and it’s been very clear for the past several months, has been on taking every step to ensure markets are sufficiently supplied to meet demand for a growing global economy,” KJP said.

“And thanks to this President’s efforts and his historic actions that he has taken, energy prices have declined sharply from their highs, and American consumers are paying far less at the pump than they were several months ago,” KJP continued. “And again, it’s because of the historic steps that this President has taken.”

The framing was selective. While gas prices had come down from their June 2022 peak of over $5 per gallon nationally, they remained well above the roughly $2.39 average when Biden took office in January 2021. The “historic actions” KJP referenced — primarily releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — were temporary measures that drained America’s emergency oil stockpile without addressing the underlying supply constraints created by the administration’s own anti-fossil-fuel policies.

The OPEC+ Cut in Context

The expected million-barrel-per-day cut came at a particularly awkward moment for the administration. Biden had staked significant political capital on bringing down gas prices before the November midterms, and the OPEC+ decision threatened to reverse months of gradual price declines.

Critics noted the irony: the administration had spent its first year canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, pausing federal oil and gas leases, and signaling a rapid transition away from fossil fuels — then found itself begging foreign producers for more oil when prices spiked. The OPEC+ cut underscored America’s diminished energy leverage under policies that discouraged domestic production while increasing dependence on foreign supply decisions.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which Biden had been drawing down at historic rates, was approaching its lowest level in decades. Each barrel released was one fewer barrel available for genuine emergencies — hurricanes, wars, or supply disruptions far more severe than elevated consumer prices.

”Far Less at the Pump”

KJP’s claim that Americans were “paying far less at the pump than they were several months ago” was technically true relative to the June spike but misleading in the broader context. The national average remained roughly $3.80 per gallon — nearly 60 percent higher than the $2.39 average on Inauguration Day 2021. Families were spending hundreds of dollars more per month on gasoline, heating oil, and natural gas compared to pre-Biden levels.

The administration’s strategy of measuring progress against the worst point of a crisis it helped create — rather than against pre-crisis baselines — had become a recurring pattern across inflation, gas prices, and border crossings.

Key Takeaways

• OPEC+ was expected to cut production by one million barrels per day — the largest cut since the pandemic — threatening to reverse Biden’s gas price progress before midterms.
• KJP refused to comment on the cut, saying the White House would not address “any OPEC actual until OPEC acts.”
• She credited Biden’s “historic actions” for gas prices declining “sharply from their highs” — while prices remained roughly 60% above Inauguration Day levels.
• The cut came months after Biden’s controversial trip to Saudi Arabia to request more production, widely seen as a diplomatic failure.
• The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was approaching its lowest level in decades from Biden’s unprecedented drawdowns.

Transcript Highlights

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

• They’re up today on the expectation that OPEC Plus is going to cut production by an estimated million barrels a day.
• Would a production cut endanger global supplies and how does the President plan to respond?
• We’re just not going to comment on any OPEC actual until OPEC acts, as you all know.
• In any event, we will continue to take steps to protect American consumers.
• Thanks to this President’s efforts and his historic actions, energy prices have declined sharply from their highs.
• American consumers are paying far less at the pump than they were several months ago. It’s because of the historic steps this President has taken.

Full transcript: 158 words transcribed via Whisper AI.