Tipsheet

NEC Director Brian Deese Has His Facts Totally Off on Economy, Gas Prices

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  October 06, 2022 6:30 PM

National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre aboard Air Force One on Thursday morning for a press gaggle, during which he was asked about gas prices and the economy. This is as President Joe Biden has continued to deplete the Strategic Oil Reserves to critically low levels, as OPEC announced they were going to cut production. 

During the first question, which asked about "potential dangers to the U.S. and world economy because of these OPEC cuts," Deese's lengthy response involved taking credit for low prices. "The reason why wholesale gas prices continue to be at that level is because of all of the progress that we’ve made," he claimed. This was a claim he stuck to throughout, as he faced questions from more reporters. 

Deese also offered that "oil and gas prices are moving around, but they are significantly lower now than they were a couple of months ago," another made he consistently made.

Gas prices are going up, though, which another reporter mentioned. In response to being confronted with such facts, Deese said "let’s, you know, take stock of where gas prices are today," repeating they've gone down. They're still higher than they were during the Trump administration, though, and polls show Americans are still concerned.

Deese claimed the "most common price for retail gasoline is $3.29." The average for, according to AAA, is at $3.87. On the west coast, Americans are paying as much as on average $6.42, in California.

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Just earlier this week, during Tuesday's White House press briefing, Jean-Pierre was asked about how while the administration likes to take credit for lowering gas prices, if the president was to blame for surging gas prices. In her lengthy response, Jean-Pierre claimed "it's a lot more nuanced than that."

Deese also claimed they "are laser-focused on what we can do to keep bringing that price down." This is despite how the Biden Administration has been engaging in a war on energy since the president's first day on office, when he signed an executive order shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline.

A reporter also asked Deese "is the White House concerned that the economic trajectory right now — given the labor market, you know, the oil crisis, interest rates — is sort of heading in the wrong direction after the summer when things seemed to be getting better?"

Deese offered that "I think the most significant mark of the American economy right now is its resilience" and that they "are very focused on the long-term economic strategy that this president has had since taking office," with "one of the key hallmarks of that is how do we build a more resilient economy, a stronger industrial base, an American manufacturing industry that can actually grow and sustain, and the follow-on benefits that that has for communities across the country."

Polls show that the American people are hardly believing such a narrative. RealClearPolitics has Biden at a 37.8 percent approval rating on the economy, while 59 percent disapprove. This is actually higher than it's been, given that a poll from the Economist/YouGov is included, which shows that 46 percent approve while 50 percent disapprove, showing Biden underwater by only -4. Others show him underwater by double digits.

A particularly memorable poll from CNBC, released in July, had Biden at a 30 percent approval rating on the economy. Just 11 percent said the economy was "excellent" or "good," at 1 percent and 10 percent respectively. A majority, at 58 percent, thought it was poor, while 30 percent said it was "only fair."

Even worse news for Biden and this administration, including those tasked to communicate such a narrative, is that polls continuously show economic issues are top of mind for voters ahead of the upcoming November midterms.