President Joe Biden called on “companies running gas stations” to “bring down” their prices Saturday, after a top White House economic adviser said Americans will have to endure financial pain at the pump in order to maintain the “liberal world order.”
The national average for gas prices stood at $4.82 per gallon on Saturday — and over $6.25 in California.
“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.
“Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now.”
The Biden administration has blamed surging gas prices on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which is now in its fourth month. On Thursday, Biden told reporters in Spain that American drivers will have to endure high gas prices for “as long as it takes” for Ukraine to defeat Russia.
The White House has also pointed the finger at oil companies, accusing them of artificially restricting supply by refusing to drill on leasing sites approved by the federal government.
In response to Biden’s demand that oil companies lower their prices, the president was trolled by Chinese state media.
“Now US President finally realized that capitalism is all about exploitation. He didn’t believe this before,” wrote Chen Weihua, EU Bureau Chief and columnist for China Daily, an English language media outlet owned by the Chinese Communist Party.
During an appearance on CNN Thursday, National Economic Council director Brian Deese defended Biden’s assertion that Americans will have to suffer high costs at the pump until Russia is defeated.
“What you heard from the president today was a clear articulation of the stakes,” Deese said. “This is about the future of the liberal world order and we have to stand firm.”