Joe Biden has been accused of a 'Ron Burgundy moment' after saying 'end of quote' during a speech, but the full footage shows he was not mistakenly reading it from a teleprompter but was indicating that he was quoting somebody.
The deceptively-edited clip of Biden speaking on Tuesday went viral in right-wing circles, making it appear as if the gaffe-machine President read 'end of quote' off his teleprompter by accident.
It drew instant comparisons to Burgundy from the Anchorman comedy, who famously read out, 'go f**k yourself, San Diego,' when it appeared on the prompter.
But unedited video of his speech shows that the 79-year-old was saying 'end of quote' to simply ensure that his speech was correctly attributed.
Biden said: 'And, by the way, you may have heard the CEO of Walmart yesterday on the steps we’ve taken. He said, and I quote, "The combination of private enterprise and government working together has been really successful." He went on to say, "All the way through the supply chain, there’s … a lot of innovation." Because of the actions we’ve taken, things have begun to change. End of quote.'
The only mistake the president appears to make is that he should have said 'end of quote' immediately after he finished quoting the CEO - but he added in the line which begins 'because of the action we've taken.'
However, that is a fairly minor mistake compared to what the edited clip makes out, which suggests that Biden is incoherent and adds to claims on the right that the elderly president is mentally impaired.
President Joe Biden was being compared to Anchorman's Ron Burgundy - known for reading the teleprompter verbatim - when he said 'end of quote' in a speech Tuesday
Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy (left) was known for reading the teleprompter verbatim and famously uttered the near-career-ending phrase, 'go f**k yourself, San Diego,' when it was entered in the prompter
During his speech on Tuesday Biden once again sought to speak to reassure Americans who are focused on inflation or worried about the state of the economy – referencing mothers and fathers who are 'asking will there be enough food we can afford to buy for the holidays. Will we be able to get Christmas presents to the kids on time and if so, will they cost me an arm and a leg?'
He made sure to show he is in tune to concerns about gas prices – including on the West Coast where they face high taxes.
'Right now, I will do what needs to be done to reduce the price you pay at the pump,' he said, touting a new action to release 50 million gallons from a strategic petroleum reserve.
'Families can rest easy - grocery stores are well-stocked with turkey and everything else you need for Thanksgiving,' he said.
He also spoke to supply chain issues, mentioning meetings with Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and other retailers.
He cited a 33 per cent drop in the time container ships were sitting on docks and said major retailers 'have confirmed that their shelves will be well stocked in stores this holiday season.' He called it 'good news' for parents worried about whether 'everything from 'bicycles to ice skates' will be available.
Biden spoke for more than 11 minutes – but once again did not take questions from White House reporters.
The White House took other steps to make reporters comfortable – piping in jazz standards by Dexter Gordon and Dave Brubeck to an auditorium on the White House grounds while they awaited his remarks.
A changeable set constructed on stage featured rotating images of electric vehicles, including the Chevy Volt.
Biden declined to take questions following the event
He reassured Americans that Thanksgiving food would be available on store shelves, and that supply chain problems were improving
When he concluded his remarks, reporters shouted out questions about the tragedy in Waukesha, inflation, and other topics.
Steve Portnoy of CBS radio, who chairs the White House Correspondents' Association, yelled out: 'When will you tell us what you discussed with Xi Jinping and other leaders? When will you answer our questions, sir?'
Biden held a three-hour digital summit with the Chinese president last week.
Instead, Biden walked away from the press following reporters and videographers who were there for his remarks. His press secretary, Jen Psaki, fielded questions later from the Brady briefing room along with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
Biden announced the 'largest ever' release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve with 50 million barrels as Americans pay premium prices for a gallon of gas and Republicans slam the move as just a 'band-aid.'
'The bottom line – today we're launching a major effort to moderate the price of oil,' Biden said from the White House. 'An effort that will span the globe and ultimately reach your corner gas station, God willing.'
'You should see the price of gas drop where you fill up your time,' he assured. 'And in the longer term we will reduce our reliance on oil as we shift to clean energy. But right now, I will do what needs to be done to reduce the price you pay at the pump.'
The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. sits around $3.40 as of Tuesday. Biden listed times when he was vice president when the prices were higher – like in 2012 when it was at $3.90 per gallon and in 2014 when it was at $3.69.
He also noted that the prices surpassed $3.00 in many places in 2019, when Donald Trump was president.
'The fact is we always get through those spikes, but we're going to get through this one as well – and hopefully faster,' he said. 'But It doesn't mean we should stand by idly and wait for prices to drop on their own. Instead, we're taking action.'
But Republican lawmakers say that this measure is only a short term fix that will not help decrease prices at the pump in the long run. Instead, they are urging the president to tap ramp up U.S. production of natural resources.
His actions on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve are meant to lower soaring prices Americans are paying at the pumps
Biden is working with India, South Korea, China, and Japan to tap from their resources after OPEC+ nations in the Middle East rebuffed his pleas to pump more oil.
It is a dramatic move that hasn't been used since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, experts believe it is just a short-term fix to the soaring costs and Republicans said Biden was trying to desperately fix an emergency he has created.
Even Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, slammed the move as a 'Band-Aid for rising gas prices but does not solve for the self-inflicted wound that shortsighted energy policy is having on our nation.'
Biden is taking oil from the reserve, which has 604.5 million total barrels across four sites in Louisiana and Texas, with gas prices at a seven-year-high, inflation hitting historic records and America facing a winter heating crisis.
Oil prices rose towards $81 a barrel on Tuesday morning after the announcement to try to and cool the market falling short of some expectations. Americans will likely not see a change in prices at the pump for at least another two weeks.
Presidents typically tap oil reserves when emergencies or natural disasters disrupt the supply chain, although more recently have even tapped them to keep prices in check from time to time.
The last time that the oil reserve was tapped in the U.S. was as oil prices surged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. At the time, then-President George Bush ordered 30 million barrels be released.
The average price of gasoline recently breached a seven-year high, and now costs $3.409 per gallon, according to AAA. In California, residents have reported paying up to $4.84 a gallon.
The Consumer Price Index is up 6.2 per cent over last year, and rose 0.9 per cent in October alone, tanking public trust in the president.
Following a presidential announcement for the release of oil, it usually takes 13 days to hit the market, according to the Energy Department.
Experts have predicted it could take two weeks for the prices to start dropping, but have also warned it is not a long-term solution because it doesn't solve supply and demand problems in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Biden will formally announce the move to release reserve oil in a speech on Tuesday afternoon aimed at addressing the economy and lowering prices. Later Tuesday evening the president and first lady will leave Washington, D.C. to spend Thanksgiving with family in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
President Biden is authorizing the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a bid to lower soaring prices Americans are paying at the pumps, The White House announced on Tuesday
The average price of gasoline recently breached a seven-year high, and now costs $3.409 per gallon, according to AAA. In California, residents have reported paying up to $4.84 a gallon
Prices for a gallon of gas are highest in west coast states and in the North East, according to AAA. They are lowest in south central states like Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi where prices range from $2.97 - $3.15
'American consumers are feeling the impact of elevated gas prices at the pump and in their home heating bills, and American businesses are, too, because oil supply has not kept up with demand as the global economy emerges from the pandemic,' The White House said in a statement released Friday morning.
'That's why President Biden is using every tool available to him to work to lower prices and address the lack of supply.
'Today, the President is announcing that the Department of Energy will make available releases of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower prices for Americans and address the mismatch between demand exiting the pandemic and supply.'
Eighteen million barrels will be part of an accelerated release from previous sales and 32 million will be released as an exchange to be 'replenished' at a later date, the White House said.
Biden has already faced a lot of criticism over revoking a key permit upon taking office in January that suspended construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. His administration has also threatened to close the Michigan Five Pipeline.
Republicans immediately weighed in on the announcement of tapping the reserve, claiming this emergency measure should be taken during war time.
Former President Donald Trump called it an 'attack' on the oil reserve.
'For decades our Country's very important Strategic Oil Reserves were low or virtually empty in that no President wanted to pay the price of filling them up. I filled them up three years ago, right to the top, when oil prices were very low,' Trump praised his administration in a statement Tuesday morning.
'Those reserves are meant to be used for serious emergencies, like war, and nothing else,' he wrote. 'Now I understand that Joe Biden will be announcing an 'attack' on the newly brimming Strategic Oil Reserves so that he could get the close to record-setting high oil prices artificially lowered.'
'We were energy independent one year ago, now we are at the mercy of OPEC, gasoline is selling for $7 in parts of California, going up all over the Country, and they are taking oil from our Strategic Reserves. Is this any way to run a Country?'
It appears Trump's claim that he helped add to the reserve during his time as president is not true.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the national Strategic Petroleum Reserve stockpile went from 695 million barrels in January 2017 to 638 million in January 2021 – the same timeline Trump entered and left office.
Gas prices are surging nationwide – reaching some of the highest levels in California. A Chevron stations shows a gallon of gas at $5.09 in Visalia, California on November 16 (left) and a SevenEleven shows the price per gallon at $3.33 in Miami, Florida on November 22 (right)
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