Just days ago, Joe Biden was insisting that his climate change provisions weren’t causing higher gas prices (see Joe Biden Goes Full Ron Burgundy in Reality-Bending Speech on Gas Prices). You see, according to the White House, canceling Keystone XL and limiting oil and gas leases in the name of fighting global warming doesn’t actually have an effect on gas prices.

Of course, most of us realize that’s a complete lie because we understand basic economics. And while Biden may be senile, he’s cognizant enough to understand what he’s doing. When you lower the supply and make oil more expensive, you end up with higher prices at the pump. In fact, the current hike in gas prices tracks with the rise in the price of oil almost perfectly.

Yet, just as prices looked to be going down due to a drop in the cost of oil caused by COVID-19 hysteria (oil dropped over $10 a barrel today), Biden is making a move to get those prices headed up again.

Biden administration pushes to raise rates for oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters, citing climate change https://t.co/WWTOTppbvo

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 26, 2021

Enter some breathless media member insisting that the president doesn’t control the price of gas. In some sense, that’s true, but Biden absolutely can make the problem better or worse. By raising the costs to drill on public leases, the president is directly influencing the cost of gasoline, and not in a good way. You will absolutely pay more at the pump if the White House raises the costs to drill in the name of fighting climate change.

Besides, how does this make any sense at all? Global demand is global demand. You are going to go fill your car up this week. The only question is how much it’s going to cost you. Does pumping oil in Saudi Arabia that will be burned in Texas somehow result in fewer emissions than if it was pumped in North Dakota? The answer is: of course not. We all share the same planet, last I checked, so even if you are a big believer in climate change, you are not fighting it by raising costs on American consumers.

In fact, if one is concerned about environmentalism, you should prefer oil be drilled domestically, as US laws and regulations result in far cleaner extraction. Yet, we live in this silly moment where Democrats insist we can’t be energy independent while at the same time begging OPEC to pump more oil. That strategy, whatever the goal may be, makes no sense whatsoever.

Meanwhile, your elected betters simply don’t care about the pain they are causing because to them, this isn’t about actually lowering emissions. Rather, it’s about mindlessly virtue signaling and punishing normal Americans for their supposed sins against the climate. Inflation is out of control, yet in the midst of that financial hardship hitting families, Biden won’t even let them have slightly lower gas prices.

This man’s entire presidency has been one big middle finger to the middle-class. Every step of the way, the president has managed to destroy the prospects of success and prosperity that were dumped into his do-nothing lap by his predecessor. He just won’t get out of the way, and that’s not a coincidence at this point.