Trump Fumes Over Biden’s New Offshore Drilling Ban, Vows to ‘Unban it Immediately’
President Joe Biden banned new offshore oil and gas drilling along the U.S. coastlines, prompting complaints from President-elect Donald Trump that Biden is “doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as possible.” Trump said he plans to reverse the ban.
The White House announced on Monday that Biden enacted a ban to protect 625 million acres of federal waters from new drilling development. Places where offshore drilling is currently occurring will not be affected. Biden cited the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as giving him the authority to enact this ban, and Trump may need Congress to intervene in order to reverse it.
“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs,” Biden said in a statement. “It is not worth the risks.”
“It’s ridiculous. I’ll unban it immediately. I will unban it. I have the right to unban it immediately,” Trump told Hugh Hewitt, a conservative radio host, on Monday, reacting to news of the ban.
Biden’s move is part of his efforts to prioritize environmental protections and combat climate change. The president said in his statement that “now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.” But Trump is taking it personally.
Trump often promised on the campaign trail that he would “drill, baby, drill” to reduce gas and energy prices. Trump’s first administration oversaw extensive environmental deregulation and climate damage, including allowing higher levels of carbon, mercury, and methane emissions. Trump is also responsible for the largest reduction of federally protected lands in U.S. history. During the 2024 campaign, Trump refused to say what he would do to stem the climate crisis, and he vowed to reverse climate policies, including those implemented as part of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Biden said in his statement, “We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low. Those are false choices. Protecting America’s coasts and ocean is the right thing to do, and will help communities and the economy to flourish for generations to come.”
“Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. “Fear not, these ‘Orders’ will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!
Also on Monday, Trump attempted to postpone his upcoming sentencing in the New York criminal case against him. Trump was convicted in 2024 on charges related to the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Last month, Justice Juan Merchan upheld Trump’s conviction after the former president’s lawyers tried to claim he had presidential immunity. If Merchan does not halt Trump’s sentencing, Trump said his attorneys will “seek an emergency appellate review.”
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