AOC bombarded with comments after asking followers why they supported her and Trump
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., fielded dozens of answers after asking her followers why they supported both her and President-elect Donald Trump in last week’s election. “I voted Trump, but I like you and Bernie. I don’t trust either party’s establishment politicians,” one of Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram followers told the New York lawmaker Monday during a livestream. The comment came in response to Ocasio-Cortez asking followers “who supported both Trump and me” or “Trump/Democrat” to explain their decision-making. AOC SLAPPED WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING MASSIVE PUERTO RICAN RALLY HAD TO DO WITH ANTI-TRUMP MOVEMENT Comments were quick to flow in, with Ocasio-Cortez attempting to appear non-judgemental while assuring followers she was genuinely curious about their rationale. “I feel that you both are outsiders compared to the rest of DC, and less establishment,” one comment said. “You signified change. Trump signified change. I’ve said lately, Trump sounds more like you,” added another. The comments also come as Trump performed significantly better in the Bronx and Queens, which make up much of Ocasio-Cortez’s district, in 2024. Trump lost Queens by nearly 24 points and the Bronx by around 45 points last week, a drastic improvement from his losses of 45 and 67 points in the two boroughs, respectively, in 2020. The result was a curious one for Ocasio-Cortez, who noted that many people who sent her to a nearly 38-point victory in the district must have also voted for the former president. The progressive lawmaker explained she was seeking to “understand and adapt” to the reality, noting the livestream session was a way to “dig in” to what her supporters were feeling. AOC, ELON MUSK SPAR AFTER TWITTER CEO SUSPENDS CNN, NYT, WAPO JOURNOS FOR POSTING ‘ASSASSINATION COORDINATES’ “Trump is going to get us the money and lets men have a voice. You’re brilliant and have amazing passion,” one follower told her. “It’s real simple… Trump and you care for the working class,” another said. “I feel like Trump and you are both real,” added another. “You are focused on the real issues people care about. Similar to Trump populism in some ways,” one follower reasoned. Another theme of the livestream session was the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza, with many of the lawmaker’s followers arguing that Trump was better equipped to bring an end to the situation. “I voted for Trump and you, not genocide Harris. Dems need Bernie,” one commenter said. “I know people that did this and it was bc of Gaza,” added another. “Because of Gaza,” one follower plainly stated. “I voted Trump and dems because he reached out to Muslims,” noted one comment.
Trump tapping 2 House Republicans for future admin fuels concerns about slim majority
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of two House Republicans to serve in his administration could pose issues if the GOP’s majority in the chamber ends up critically thin. Trump has selected House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as his ambassador to the United Nations, while a source told Fox News Digital that he picked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to be his National Security Adviser (NSA). Both represent Republican stronghold districts that have little chance of falling into Democratic hands in special elections. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE But those special elections could take place weeks or months after the new term begins in January 2025 – which could slow down Trump’s plans for an ambitious first 100-day agenda. “That’s an agenda we’ve been working on with President Trump for months now. We didn’t wait until the day after the election to start planning this, and this shows the relentless focus of Donald Trump,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during a press conference on Tuesday. “I know he’s already pulled a few really talented people out of the House – hopefully no more for a little while until special elections come up, but it shows you the talent that we have and the ability we have.” HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly said he did not believe Trump would select any more House members for his administration and said he and Trump broached the topic in discussions. “President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game. You know, we believe we’re going to have a larger majority than we had last time. It’s too early to handicap it, but we are optimistic about that,” Johnson said. ‘GOT OUR A–ES KICKED’: DEMS PRIVATELY FRET ABOUT LOSING HOUSE AFTER GOP VICTORY IN WHITE HOUSE, SENATE “But every single vote will count, because if someone gets ill or has a car accident or a late flight on their plane, then it affects the votes on the floor. So, I think he and administration are well attuned to that. I don’t expect that we will have more members leaving, but I’ll leave that up to him.” House Republicans are on track to win a single-digit majority in the chamber. It’s not much different than it was during the 118th Congress, but GOP leaders will likely face more pressure to keep members in line when working to enact Trump’s will.
Fetterman hails Rubio as ‘strong choice’ for secretary of state, says he will vote to confirm him
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has called Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap to serve as secretary of state, a “strong choice” for the cabinet-level role. “Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,” Fetterman wrote in a post on X. “That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.” If Rubio does take on the job next year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be able to appoint a temporary replacement to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat until a special election is held for the seat. TRUMP EXPECTED TO NAME SEN. MARCO RUBIO AS SECRETARY OF STATE Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., has called Rubio “an outstanding choice.” “Senator Rubio has a proven record of promoting freedom, defending American interests on the global stage, and standing firm against threats from the CCP. His leadership will be invaluable in advancing our nation’s values and priorities abroad,” Steube said in a tweet. Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., said in a statement that, “President Trump has made a truly historic and brilliant choice in selecting Senator Marco Rubio as our nation’s Secretary of State.” AOC FIRES BACK AT FETTERMAN, ACCUSES HIM OF ‘BLEAK DUNK ATTEMPT’ Rubio has announced that he is supporting fellow Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott for the role of Senate Republican Leader. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and John Thune, R-S.D. are also vying for the role. Senate Republicans are slated to hold the vote on Wednesday. TOM COTTON LIKELY TO SUCCEED MARCO RUBIO IN TOP INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE POST Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011.
Trump expected to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Mike Johnson says
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said there are “preliminary plans” for President-elect Donald Trump to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday. The Louisiana Republican broke the news during a Tuesday morning press conference in response to Fox News Digital’s question about whether he and Trump had discussed the issue of government funding. “I didn’t intend to break this as news this morning,” Johnson said when asked by another reporter to elaborate. “But since I said it… President Trump is going to be meeting with President Biden at the White House. And so, it was suggested – in fact, that he, I think he said it first before I did – but, that he wanted to come and visit with House Republicans.” JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ He said House leaders were “working out the details” of his visit, which would take place before his meeting with Biden. “That would be a great meeting and moment for all of us,” Johnson said. Johnson said he would also be at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend to discuss government funding and other federal priorities. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE The speaker has forged a close working relationship with Trump since winning the gavel in late October 2023, after the historic ouster of his predecessor. Even before Trump won the election, Johnson would keep the then-former president abreast of his policy and legislative decisions for the House before making them public. Wednesday will be Trump’s first day back in the nation’s capital since he won the 2024 election. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY The Tuesday morning press conference was held to celebrate Republican victories in the White House and Senate, and tout the GOP’s confidence in keeping the House majority. Several close races are yet to be decided, but enough are trending Republicans’ way that leaders have already assumed they will hold the levers of power in Washington.
Anthony Weiner mulls return: Disgraced ex-pol says New York City needs new leadership
Disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., responded to rumors regarding his potential return to the public scene, years after he resigned from Congress amid the first of several sexting scandals. The one-time nom de guerre “Carlos Danger” last served on New York City Council in the 1990s representing Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach. Responding to calls from reporters and listeners to his 77WABC radio program, Weiner said Monday he loves his hometown very much, as talk of a new bid in Manhattan surfaced. He pointed to fellow 77WABC host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who mounted an unsuccessful Republican bid against Eric Adams in 2021, suggesting he too is not done with public service. “The way I always unpack these things is ‘what does it mean for me and my neighbors?’ The city has always been the way that I have looked at service. And, you know, we are Democrats. We stand up… for each other… we don’t like people being victimized by bullies,” Weiner said. NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP POLICIES ‘CONTRARY TO VALUES’ Weiner said New York City should always be the “shining laboratory” of Democratic Party ideals and said that “for years we had Republicans running this town.” From 1994 to 2002, Republican Rudy Giuliani served as mayor. He was succeeded by Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent Michael Bloomberg until 2013. The City Council, however, has historically been a supermajority of Democrats. “I would always say, if we can’t come up with solutions for this city, and we can’t show that they can work, we don’t deserve to win… I love my city. This is a city that is proudly governed by Democrats.” Weiner said that, in contrast, there are issues with New York that seem “intractable” – citing the years-to-decades it takes to build infrastructure, sky-high taxation and the fact that when he rides the bus, “I’d be surprised if half the people paid.” Weiner blamed part of the homeless and migrant problem on a 1979 class action suit brought against then-Gov. Hugh L. Carey and Mayor Ed Koch that resulted in the “Callahan Decree” – which instituted a right-to-shelter for homeless men. However, Weiner continued through a litany of things he would like to see improved about the city, such as being able to walk into a Duane Reade with his son and not find most of the store’s goods locked up. GOP WINS FIRST BLUE-CITY SENATE SEAT IN THREE DECADES “And as someone who has struggled with addiction, someone who lost his brother, I mean, I don’t know if we are running headlong into these things because they seem like the right thing to do without thinking.” Weiner said people in his neighborhood have approached him about a return as well. He noted Councilwoman Carlina Rivera of Kips Bay is term-limited, which would place Weiner’s home in an open district. “People said: ‘Anthony, why don’t you run?’” He addressed the elephant in the room, remarking that there are “all kinds of reasons not to – least of which are the things in my past and the things about my addiction.” Weiner was once seen as then-Rep. Chuck Schumer’s protégé and had a close relationship with his fellow Brooklynite. When Schumer gave up his House seat and successfully won the Senate seat of retiring Republican Al D’Amato, Weiner replaced him. However, Weiner resigned from Congress in 2011 after admitting to sending women explicit photos. After his resignation, Weiner continued sexting under the pseudonym “Carlos Danger.” The main recipient, Sydney Leathers, claimed the former lawmaker referred to himself as “an argumentative, perpetually horny middle-aged man.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A few years later, he was embroiled in another sexting scandal during which he separated from his wife, longtime Hillary Clinton confidante Huma Abedin. After claims surfaced again, this time that Weiner had sexted a teenager in North Carolina, his laptop was seized. Investigators found emails pertinent to Clinton’s classified documents scandal that preceded her upset loss to President-elect Donald Trump. Weiner later checked himself into rehab for sex addiction, and in 2017 was sentenced in his federal sexting case – which imploded his then-bid for mayor. He remains a registered sex offender. Weiner remained upbeat in speaking out about his potential opportunity to help New York. “We’re at a moment that we Democrats, seem like we come into knife fights carrying library books all the time,” he said. “I’m thinking about it. I’m wrestling with it. I’m trying to figure out. I don’t know. I mean, I love doing this job on the radio, but I want to be of service. I think everyone should think that way.” “We’re Democrats, we solve problems.” The City Council currently sits at a 45-6 Democratic majority, but Republicans doubled their ranks recently and now have at least one member from every borough except Manhattan.
South Korea’s president is picking up golf in hopes to impress Trump
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has reportedly started practicing his golf game in anticipation of meeting President-elect Donald Trump. Yoon started the practice after holding a brief phone call with Trump congratulating him on his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Days after the call, Yoon “got out his golf clubs for the first time in eight years and resumed his golf practice,” his office told NBC News. The effort echoes former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s relationship with Trump. The pair played golf together at least five times during Trump’s first administration, and Abe famously gifted Trump with gold-plated clubs. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond when asked whether the president-elect hoped other world leaders would start hitting the range. UKRAINE, NORTH KOREAN TROOPS CLASH FOR FIRST TIME; ZELENSKYY WARNS OF ESCALATION Trump’s call with Yoon was one of several he received from world leaders congratulating him on his Election Day victory. So far, Trump is known to have spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as leaders from the Middle East and Asia. PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE ALLOWS ELON MUSK’S PAC TO CONTINUE $1M A DAY GIVEAWAY The Washington Post reported that Putin and Trump spoke just two days after Trum won re-election. Trump reportedly took the call from Florida and advised Putin to not escalate the war in Ukraine. The president-elect also reminded Russia’s president about the amount of U.S. military in Europe, a person familiar with the call who spoke on anonymity told the publication. ELON MUSK REVEALS HIS POLITICAL PAC’S FUTURE AMID TIGHT PRESIDENTIAL RACE Additionally, the two men talked about peace being the goal in Europe, while Trump also expressed a desire for further talks on “the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon,” several sources told The Post. Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk joined Trump on his call with Zelenskyy. “I had an excellent call with President Trump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory — his tremendous campaign made this result possible,” Zelenskyy posted on X. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Details of Musk’s exact role were not disclosed according to reporting from Axios, though sources reported Musk expressed his intent to continue supporting Ukraine through his Starlink satellite network—a service critical to Ukraine’s wartime communications.
Frank Auerbach, British-German painter, dies at 93
Auerbach came to England in 1939 as a child refugee after fleeing from Nazi Germany. Painter Frank Auerbach, who fled Nazi Germany to Britain as a child, has died at age 93, his representatives say. One of the foremost painters of the 20th century, Auerbach died at his home in London on Monday. Geoffrey Parton, director of Frankie Rossi Art Projects, said on Tuesday that they had lost “a dear friend and remarkable artist but take comfort knowing his voice will resonate for generations to come”. Born in Berlin in 1931, Auerbach came to England in 1939 as a refugee during World War II under the Kindertransport scheme, which rescued mainly Jewish children from Nazi territory. His engineer father and his mother, who trained as an artist, were both killed in the Auschwitz concentration camp. He studied at the St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London and devoted his life to painting, becoming one of the foremost artists of the 20th century. His gallery said the British-German painter lived and worked in the same north London studio from 1954 until his death. Alongside the other “School of London” post-war artists – including Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Leon Kossoff – Auerbach focused on figurative paintings regardless of the changing artistic fashions, often slathering canvases in thick layers of paint to produce near-abstract but recognisable landscapes. Auerbach told The Guardian in an interview that he estimated 95 percent of his paint ended up in the bin. “I’m trying to find a new way to express something,” he said, adding, “So I rehearse all the other ways until I surprise myself with something I haven’t previously considered.” In 1986, he represented Britain at the Venice Biennale and won the Golden Lion top prize. In later life, his work was valued at high prices, including in 2023 when his painting Mornington Crescent, inspired by the streets in Camden, north London, near his home, sold at Sotheby’s auction house for $7.1m, a record for the artist. His most recent exhibition, Frank Auerbach: The Charcoal Heads, opened in February at London’s Courtauld Gallery. The artist is survived by his son, Jacob Auerbach. Adblock test (Why?)
Biden (maybe) wants Israel to stop using US bulldozers for ethnic cleansing
On Sunday, Israeli media reported a freeze in certain bulldozer shipments from the United States to Israel. The prominent English-language website Ynet News, for example, went with the sensational headline: “D9 bulldozer shipment stalled by US embargo, leaving Israeli soldiers exposed.” To be sure, there is nothing more tragic than “exposed” soldiers belonging to a genocidal army. According to the article, 134 bulldozers “ordered and paid for” by the Israeli military are currently “awaiting export approval from the US State Department” but their shipment has been stymied by internal US opposition and an apparent decision by President Joe Biden’s administration to freeze deliveries “for several months”. The D9 model is manufactured by the US firm Caterpillar Inc. Some observers have taken this move to mean that the Bidenites are registering their displeasure with the Israeli war crime of ethnic cleansing. But if you’re going to be against ethnic cleansing, why not go all the way and be against genocide too? Indeed, a shortage of new bulldozers will have precisely zero bearing on Israel’s ability to continue waging genocide in Gaza, where officially more than 43,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered over the past 13 months but the real death toll is undoubtedly many times higher. Ynet noted that the machines are used “primarily for flattening structures in the Gaza Strip” but they are “also needed” in southern Lebanon, where Israel’s latest terrorist operations have also killed thousands. The Israeli army’s existing arsenal of D9 dozers is reportedly in need of maintenance, hence the replacement order – the moratorium on delivery of which “will likely delay another significant operation by [Israel’s military] that remains incomplete: establishing a one-kilometer-wide [0.6-mile-wide] buffer zone between the Gaza Strip [and Israel] involving the leveling of hundreds of Palestinian buildings and agricultural lands”. Not only is there the troubling issue of the “exposed” soldiers then; there is also the annoying interruption to Israel’s scorched-earth plan. In addition to “leveling” civilian infrastructure and wiping out agriculture, bulldozers have served other handy purposes in Gaza. There was that time in September, for instance, that the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights documented the shooting by Israeli soldiers of 17-year-old Majed Fida Abu Zina, a resident of Gaza’s Far’a refugee camp, who was “left to bleed for approximately an hour and a half”, after which the Israeli army “brought in a bulldozer and began desecrating the boy’s body, tearing open his abdomen and exposing his internal organs before dragging and throwing him on al-Far’a hill”. Incidentally, Israel’s bulldozing of human beings has not been restricted to Palestinians. In 2003, 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by a 36-tonne Caterpillar bulldozer driven by an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where she was protesting against Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes. Call it Caterpillateral damage. And Rafah, as it so happens, was central to the story the last time the Biden administration made noises about suspending shipments of lethal materials to Israel. In May, Biden announced he would no longer be supplying offensive weapons to the Israeli army in the event of an all-out assault on the southern Gaza city, reasoning that “civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs.” Well, yeah – that’s how genocide works. And suspending a couple of bomb shipments here and there ultimately does absolutely nothing to put a dent in mass killings. Ditto for denying the Israelis their D9 dozer replacements. These extremely isolated cases of moratoria on weapons transfers impact Israeli military behaviour even less given that they are accompanied by a continuous flood of billions upon billions of dollars in US military aid to Israel and other free-flowing weaponry. Recall that in April, just weeks before Biden issued his warning re: Rafah, the US Congress OK’d no less than $26bn in supplemental wartime aid to Israel – which was authorised on top of all of the billions of dollars Israel already receives annually from its trusty American partner in crime. And as Al Jazeera reported in August, the Biden administration had just “approved sending $20bn worth of arms to Israel, even as the US publicly calls for restraint in the war on Gaza”. Of course, the mixed messaging is fully exploited by Israel’s psychopathic government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which invokes every perceived slight by the fundamentally obsequious US as alleged evidence that even Israel’s best friends are somehow now anti-Israel. As per the Ynet dispatch, the temporary freeze in D9 bulldozer shipments is simply another case of Israel getting the “cold shoulder… from Washington” – a state of affairs that “could pose a risk to [Israeli] soldiers” in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. And yet the “cold shoulder” has not and will not prevent Israel from literally and metaphorically bulldozing Gaza to death while raining made-in-the-USA apocalyptic destruction from the sky. Forget the Israeli soldiers left “exposed” by the reported US freeze on bulldozer shipments. The population of Gaza is fully exposed to genocide – and international opposition to this most sinister reality is being bulldozed as we speak. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
Opposition secures landslide victory in Mauritius election
Former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam has won a third term in the Indian Ocean nation, official results show. Opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam has won a landslide victory in Mauritius’s parliamentary vote, the election commission said. The Office of the Electoral Commissioner said on Tuesday that Rangoolam and his Alliance of Change (ADC) coalition won 62.6 percent of the vote, securing the three-time former prime minister a fourth term. The ADC won 60 of 62 seats in the National Assembly, state broadcaster Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation reported. “The court of the people has delivered its verdict and a new Mauritius awakes,” 77-year-old Rangoolam said to crowds of supporters amid boisterous cheers and blaring horns. Ramgoolam served as prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014. As well as the 60 seats for Mauritius, there were two up for grabs for the island of Rodrigues and another eight allocated under what is dubbed the “best loser” system. The winner-takes-all election model means single coalitions often dominate parliament. ‘Free to talk’ Incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth had conceded on Monday that his Lepep alliance, led by his Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), was “heading towards a huge defeat”. “The people have chosen another team to lead the country,” Jugnauth, who has served as prime minister since 2017, told reporters. Only last month, the 62-year-old prime minister was celebrating a historic deal that saw Britain cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after a long-running dispute. But the vote was overshadowed by an explosive wire-tapping scandal, when secretly recorded phone calls of politicians, diplomats, members of civil society and journalists were leaked online. Ramgoolam said that following his landslide victory, he would first dismantle the country’s “spying system so that Mauritians will be free to talk”. Economic challenges During the campaign, both camps promised to improve the lot of Mauritians who face cost-of-living difficulties despite robust economic growth. Measures outlined in the Alliance of Change manifesto include the creation of a fund to support families facing hardship, free public transport, increased pensions and reduced fuel prices, as well as efforts to tackle corruption and boost the green economy. It also called for constitutional and electoral reforms including changing how the president and parliament speaker are chosen. At least one million people were registered to vote on Sunday in the 12th election since Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. Mauritius, which sits about 2,000km (1,240 miles) off Africa’s east coast, is recognised as one of the continent’s most stable democracies and has developed a successful economy underpinned by its finance, tourism and agricultural sectors since gaining independence. Both Jugnauth and Ramgoolam are members of the dynasties that have dominated the leadership of Mauritius since independence. Ramgoolam, who previously worked as a doctor and a lawyer, is the son of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who led Mauritius to independence from Britain. Adblock test (Why?)
Biden admin touts job well done replenishing oil reserves despite depleting them by half over last 4 years
The Energy Department announced the end of replenishing the nation’s strategic oil reserves on Friday, which were depleted by nearly half under President Biden, and used the opportunity to praise the administration for the work it has done to maintain and replenish the stockpile. However, as of Nov. 1, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) inventory held just 387.2 million barrels of oil, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is compared to 638.1 million barrels that were in the SPR inventory when Biden took over the presidency from former President Donald Trump. The major drop came from Biden’s decision to flood the U.S. oil market with millions of barrels from the SPR to keep oil costs down following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision to do so was frequently met with backlash from his critics who argued the move was “political” in order to keep gas prices down ahead of the election this month. “The SPR for this administration was used as a piggy bank to lower oil prices,” said Trishia Curtis, economist at the American Energy Institute. TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA “This is smoke and mirrors to make it look OK,” added Phil Flynn, senior markets analyst at the Price Futures Group, according to Market Watch. Despite the drastic drop in SPR during Biden’s tenure, Energy Department Secretary Jennifer Granholm lauded the Biden-Haris administration for “maintain[ing] the SPR as the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil” and for “putting the economic and energy security of the American people first,” in a Friday press release from the Energy Department about the latest SPR purchase. TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT “With the awarding of these contracts, DOE has fully utilized all funding allocated for crude oil purchases following the sale of 180 million barrels in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and secured 20 million more barrels at a good price for taxpayers,” Granholm concluded. However, for Energy and Environmental Legal Institute fellow and former Trump administration Environmental Protection Agency transition advisor Steve Milloy, the numbers do not add up. “It’s deceptive,” Milloy told Fox News Digital. “They’ve only bought back one-third of what they let go. Now they’re trying to say that they actually bought back more, or they put back more, but what they’re counting is oil that’s already in there.” TRUMP VOWS AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY TO SLASH ENERGY COSTS, LIFT LNG PAUSE AND ‘FRACK, FRACK, FRACK’ Meanwhile, energy expert Chris Barnard, the president of The American Conservation Coalition, posited that it was “contradictory” for the Biden administration to claim it has been focused on U.S. energy security. “It feels quite contradictory for them to tout that they’re [replenishing the SPR], while at the same time saying that they want to end oil and gas,” Barnard said. “It’s felt like a bit of whiplash between Biden’s comments on the campaign trail back in 2019 and 2020, where he even told some voters, ‘I want to end fossil fuels altogether.’ But then at the same time claiming credit for replenishing the SPR, at the same time canceling Keystone Pipeline, at the same time going and begging the Saudis to produce more oil and send it to America,” Barnard said. “Their energy idealism has run up against energy reality.” On Biden’s way out of the White House, he has been imposing tighter environmental restrictions, including just this week, when Biden approved a new tax on methane emissions and implemented tighter restrictions on oil, solar and wind energy development across more than 6,500 square miles of federal land. The Energy Department declined to comment for this story.