“So there’s a lot of broader questions in this, and we hope that we’ll be able to see that investment in infrastructure that will facilitate clean and renewable energy,” Granholm stated in response to a leading question from a reporter.
Earlier in the briefing, Granholm proclaimed that “It’s not that we have a gasoline shortage, it’s that we have this supply crunch.” Oh, okay.
As it turns out, Granholm is not the only member of this administration who is straight-up gaslighting the American people on the so-called “supply crunch.” During today’s back and forth with reporters, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the administration’s previous comments on how there wasn’t a gas shortage. Here’s how Psaki defended herself and her colleagues:
Jen Psaki, not instilling confidence under questioning from ABC's Mary Bruce: "So, 48 hours ago, we said: At this moment, there is not a supply shortage. That was accurate at this moment. We also said that we're continuing to monitor very closely what the impact will be." pic.twitter.com/IycrMQzJ6P
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 12, 2021
Jen Psaki defends saying there was no gas shortage crisis on Monday, because “at this moment” there was not a shortage
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) May 12, 2021
First of all, the reporter’s question was specifically about what Granholm said yesterday about there supposedly being no shortages when, in fact, there were shortages being reported all over the southeast for most of the day Tuesday.
Psaki instead pivoted to what she herself said Monday about there being no shortages when reports of gas shortages were just beginning to filter in as though that gave her a pass.
Except it doesn’t. There were reports coming in Monday afternoon and evening of gas shortages in parts of North Carolina, and even before that, there were umpteen stories about how the lines were getting longer at gas station pumps, so they knew the shortages were imminent.
That’s three press briefings in a row now where neither Psaki nor a high-ranking cabinet member from this administration were willing to be straight with the American people as to the worsening situation on the ground in states like mine and others. While I understand not wanting to fuel a regional panic, auditioning to be the next featured participant in the inevitable EverythingsFine.gif memes won’t help matters, either.
The answers coming out of these people in the aftermath of the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline are reminiscent of how President Biden wildly spun last week’s devastating jobs report.
“Today, there is more evidence our economy is moving in the right direction,” Biden said after we learned that 266,000 jobs were created in April after “experts” forecasted over a million.
After over a year of mixed messages and despicable hypocrisy coming from elected leaders (mostly on the left) and public health officials on the coronavirus pandemic, what Americans desperately want now more than ever is some straight talk. The “move along, nothing to see, it’s all good” strategy coming out of this White House is an insult to everyone’s intelligence, and the longer it goes on, the more the resentment builds.
And speaking of resentment, where has Biden been on this crisis? I haven’t seen any public statements from him on the matter. Maybe someone should page Ron Klain to find out.