Prominent Twitters users attempted to fact-check Joe Biden after the president told a reporter that gas has "always" been $7 a gallon in California.
"The inflation report is out. Have you seen gas prices around here in LA? It’s 7 bucks a gallon almost," a reporter asked Biden as he paid for food at a Los Angeles-based taco shop.
"Well, that’s always been the case here," Biden replied. "You know, it’s not — what — nationwide, [gas prices] came down about $1.35, and they’re still down over a dollar. But we’re going to work on, housing is the big, is the most important thing we have to do in terms of that."
President Joe Biden speaks about gas prices in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Washington.
President Joe Biden speaks about gas prices in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, June 22, 2022, in Washington.
© AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Social media users rushed to criticize Biden for his claim about gas prices in The Golden State, making note of his attempt to pivot the conversation towards housing.
"Bidenism at its finest in LA today. High gas prices is a housing problem?," James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader in the California Assembly, tweeted.
New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin offered up his own fact-check of Biden, given the fact that gas was $3.36 a gallon in California when Biden was sworn in as president. "False. When Biden was sworn in as President, gas in California was actually less than half what it is today," he tweeted.
California Republican Senate candidate Mark Meuser similarly criticized Biden’s claim and tweeted that the president was "out of touch" with how his policies are "destroying" the United States.
"I'm sorry Mr. President but California does not usually have $7 gas. In fact, prior to you becoming president, $5 gas in California was considered extremely high. You clearly are out of touch with how your policies are destroying this nation," he tweeted.
"AAA reported that the national average price of a gallon of #gas has climbed to $3.92 on Monday, however, in California it is up to $7! Biden has done nothing to stop this madness- in fact, his and Katie Porter’s out of control gov. spending is causing Americans to suffer more," California Republican House candidate Scott Baugh chimed in.