President Joe Biden has pushed forward environmental policies throughout his tenure in office while still keeping the oil industry content, but recent moves have caused many to take a second look at his opponent prior to the November election.
Last year, U.S. oil production reached an all-time high, something the Biden administration has not highly publicized, in an attempt to keep alternative energy activists from turning up the volume on their concerns to his commitment to their policies. Biden has pushed for green energy, touting climate policies and laws like the Inflation Reduction Act, which has included several climate initiatives, while not making too much of an enemy of the oil industry.
His attempt to straddle both sides appears to have hit a head with recent actions, most notably his decision to pause on new U.S. liquefied natural gas exports to non-free trade agreement countries. The decision, along with his limitations on oil drilling across the country — specifically in Alaska — has caused some in the industry to reconsider their quiet support.
Trump recently met with oil executives in a dinner at Mar-a-Lago that has come under scrutiny from Democrats. Trump was reportedly looking to woo the executives to donate to his campaign, while touting what he would do in a second term to benefit his campaign. He was seeking high dollar donations from the executives, as he still battles a hefty campaign across the country and in the courtroom.
The New York Times reports that MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, held a fundraising lunch later in the month in Houston, Texas, with three oil industry executives hosting the event. The outlet reported that to some in the industry, the decision to pause new U.S. LNG exports was a “wake-up call” on Biden’s energy policy, and it could ultimately amount to support for Trump in November.
Biden has worked to garner the support of environmental groups, with the Democratic base being vocally in favor of alternative forms of energy from fossil fuels. He has the backing of many environmental groups, with four of the major organizations endorsing him last year.
In the announcement of the endorsement, Sierra Club National Executive Director Ben Jealous said Biden “has acted courageously during a critical inflection point in the climate fight” and added that “no other administration has done more to move us forward.” While there was high praise in the June 2023 statement, the group still made clear in the announcement that they would “continue to hold this administration accountable when it falls short” and aired their problems with environmental policy.
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Environmental matters are only one matter that the Biden administration has looked to straddle as the president runs for a second term.
Mass protest votes over the White House’s stances on the war in Gaza have also caused problems for Biden’s reelection effort, with the administration continuing to evolve on that matter.
