In a stunning last-ditch effort to impose his radical agenda, President Joe Biden has banned all future offshore oil and gas drilling, a move widely seen as an attempt to sabotage President Trump’s energy plans ahead of his likely return to the White House.
Using powers granted under the 70-year-old Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Biden announced the ban Monday morning, blocking over 625 million acres of federal waters from future oil and natural gas leasing. The sweeping ban affects the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Alaska’s northern Bering Sea, though drilling will still be allowed in the Western Gulf of Mexico.
Biden framed the decision as necessary to prevent “irreversible” environmental damage and to secure the nation’s coasts for “our children and grandchildren.”
But Trump wasn’t having it. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, the former president blasted Biden’s move as “ridiculous” and vowed to reverse it immediately if re-elected.
“I see it just came over that Biden has banned all oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory,” Trump said. “It’s ridiculous. I’ll unban it immediately.”
This latest move by Biden is being widely criticized as another attempt to cling to his failing green energy agenda while ignoring the economic benefits of energy independence—a cornerstone of Trump’s America First platform.
WATCH Trump’s fiery response below:
