The latest Rasmussen poll shows that only 26% of respondents approve of the president’s response to climbing gas prices, which are now averaging well over a dollar higher than a year ago across the country.
According to data from the American Automobile Association, the current average cost of gas per gallon in the US is about $3.40, while it was just over $2 per gallon last year.
Over 80% of those polled pointed to gas prices as a serious problem in the US, with almost 60% of that group identifying it as a “very serious” problem. The issue is not partisan, with the poll showing that a majority of Republicans, Democrats, as well as Independents see rising gasoline prices as a serious issue.
Overall, some 62% of respondents said that Biden has not done enough to address the issue, while 14% said they did not see the rising energy prices as a real problem. Biden’s highest support on the issue came from Democrats, standing at 38%.
Ballooning fuel costs, supply chain issues and record inflation have seen Biden’s own approval numbers tumble in recent weeks.
Biden and others in his administration have expressed a long-term goal of moving away from the gas industry, and petroleum in general, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently urging Americans to buy electric vehicles and ditch their gasoline expenses for good. While Buttigieg has discussed a potential e-vehicle “discount” of up to $12,500 in Biden’s Build Back Better bill, his buying recommendation prompted charges that the administration is out of touch with working class Americans, as such ‘green’ cars can average around $50,000.
Biden has also talked about reducing the US’ dependence on gas, saying the country needs to switch to “clean energy” in the long term. He doubled down on that plan when he ordered the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve last week in an effort to tackle the gas crisis.
Among 1,000 likely voters interviewed by Rasmussen, most didn’t see clean energy as a solution to today’s problems. Only 24% said they believe a switch to clean energy could happen in the next five years, while 21% suggested it may happen in 10. Another 32% see more than 10 years in that journey, while 17% think it’ll simply never happen.
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