Biden dismissed idea ethanol could help slash gas prices as admin struggles to respond to rising costs: Report

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President Biden reportedly dismissed the idea that authorizing the use of ethanol gas would help bring down gas prices prior to going to Iowa in April to announce the plan, the Washington Post reported on Monday. 

The president also wondered what the purpose of the Menlo, Iowa event was, according to the outlet, as he stood in front of a tractor to announce the authorization of the E15 gasoline in an effort to increase supply and bring prices down. 

"It’s not going to solve all our problems," Biden said in April in Iowa. "It’s going to help some people, and I’m committed to whatever I can to help, even if it’s an extra buck or two in the pockets when they fill up, or make a difference in people’s lives."

BIDEN SAYS HE'S DOING ‘EVERYTHING’ IN HIS POWER TO REDUCE GAS PRICES

Joe Biden reportedly cast some doubt on his administration's April announcement that they would authorize E15 gasoline.  (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The president reportedly gathered his senior staffers in the Oval Office after the Iowa event and asked them questions about the reason and goal of the event.

 "Biden had worried even before the announcement that it exaggerated ethanol's ability to cut gas prices and could harm his climate goals," The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and others encouraged the president to go to Iowa and make the announcement because it would "at least help the Midwest," the outlet reported, noting that the White House was "desperate" for anything that could bring down the price of gas. 

The national average cost per gallon of gas hit $5 on Saturday and continues to rise. As of Monday, the average hit $5.014, according to AAA. 

BIDEN RESPONDS TO $5 GAS: ‘OUTRAGEOUS WHAT THE WAR IN UKRAINE IS CAUSING’

President Biden worried the administration exaggerated ethanol's ability to bring down gas prices prior to the announcement they would authorize it, The Washington Post reported. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The president has consistently blamed the high price of gas on the war in Ukraine. He said Saturday that it was "outrageous what the war in Ukraine is causing" and emphasized the administration's decision to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 

"Biden is increasingly voicing his anger internally. And some Democrats, inside and outside the White House, want to focus on oil and gas company greed as a centerpiece of their fall message," Washington Post White House reporter Tyler Pager wrote. 

NBC, WAPO, CNN DROP DAMNING REPORTS ON WH TURMOIL, SUGGEST ISSUES PLAGUING HIS BIDEN WEREN'T CAUSED BY HIS ADMIN

The national average cost per gallon of gas exceeded $5 over the weekend as the Biden administration struggles to respond to rising costs. REUTERS/Mike Blake (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

The outlet noted that the administration's efforts to tout positives about the economy was not "resonating."

Washington Post congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor said Sunday during ABC's "This Week" that it could be too late for Democrats on the economy. She noted that Democrats were starting to shift the messaging around inflation in an effort to talk about empathy, but said it could be "too late" for people who are saying "we need help now."

"The administration has also struggled to explain how long Americans should expect to see rising prices, giving an inaccurate sense that the rapid price increases would subside relatively quickly. When prices first started increasing markedly last year, Biden and others suggested it was the result of the economy’s rapid reopening after the pandemic and would fade as the economy stabilized," the Washington Post wrote. 

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NBC reported at the end of May that Biden was getting frustrated with his aides for walking back his public statements. He worried it was making him look weak, according to NBC. 

The president also reportedly believes that he isn't getting enough credit from Americans or the media for his work on the economy.