Watch: Ex-President of Shell Oil Schools Obama on Claims He Created US Oil Boom
He hasn’t faded into the sunset. By the contrary, former President Barack Obama has made a point of not only bashing President Donald Trump publicly, but taking credit for good things he had nothing to do with.
His latest credit-grab came in the form of him saying he is the reason why America is the largest oil producer. Yes, he really said that.
Former President Barack Obama: “Suddenly America is the largest oil producer, that was me people … say thank you.” pic.twitter.com/xo4kWSkn0z
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) November 28, 2018
“(Oil production) went up every year I was president. That whole, suddenly America is the biggest oil producer, that was me, people.”
His conclusion to his pat on the back is mind-blowing. “Just say, ‘thank you,’ please.”
He is the man who fought for climate-change policies and against oil production. He limited drilling for oil.
But before you think he may be getting away with his outrageous claim, take heart. John Hofmeister, former president of Shell, was quick to call him out on it.
Former pres. of @Shell John Hofmeister responds to @BarackObama taking credit for increased US oil production: “The facts are the facts. And, yes, the production did increase throughout his term. But, frankly, he had nothing to do with it … The federal government had no role.” pic.twitter.com/eFDWvBfV0K
— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 29, 2018
Hofmeister said that while production did increase Obama was in office, it was due to state, not federal involvement. “The federal government had no role.”
“And if anything, he was trying to frustrate the efforts by taking federal lands off of the availability list, putting them out– just no more drilling. He shut down the Gulf of Mexico for a period of six months, changed the regulations from an average of 60-80 pages per permit to 600-800 pages per permit.”
“He also never approved the Keystone XL pipeline after dangling all the potential customers for eight years. And it was in the eighth year he said ‘No Keystone pipeline.’ And so I would say he was not a leader when it comes to energy … “
Hofmeister wasn’t the only one laying into Obama’s self-congratulatory claim, either. Social media had a feeding frenzy over it.
This man is beyond clinical narcissism. https://t.co/CFFNRatWk9
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) November 29, 2018
How do you take credit for something that you fought against while you sat in the Oval Office?
Crazy huh? https://t.co/ILjABxnNb8
— Wayne Dupree 🎧 (@WayneDupreeShow) November 29, 2018
The Washington Times wrote that the Institute for Energy Research also disputed Obama’s claims. Using Congressional Research Service data, the Institute showed that from 2009 to 2017, shares of crude oil and natural gas, all produced on federal lands, saw a decline. Meanwhile, those produced on non-federal lands rose, or in their words, “skyrocketed.”
The Institute added that the damage Obama’s policies inflicted are still being felt today. “Production on federal lands has not been able to fully recover from Obama Administration policies that resulted in a moratorium on offshore energy permitting and long delays in approving drilling permits.”
So once again, Obama is spotlighting himself as some kind of hero. In truth, his actions weren’t even close to such a title.
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