Transcript (en)

From my left of center friends at the table, does anybody here support building a single oil refinery so we can actually increase diesel supply? Because it doesn't just come out of the ground and go right into the trucks. It has to be refined. We've seen a reduction in refining capacity here because that's what Democrats have wanted. We've also seen it impacted by Russia, Ukraine. Would anybody here support building a single oil refinery to make more diesel? Is some of the consideration as to where you do it domestically or whether you do it domestically at all? I'm talking about in the United States, what a policymaker would do. If you were, say, governor of California or if you were governor of anything, would you say, you know what, we could help out the world if we got on top of building an oil refinery? Does anybody say yes? Right in this moment, even if we built a diesel refinery tomorrow, that's not really what has caused diesel prices to skyrocket. It a big part of it Eddie Well no not in the last I mean OK the refineries we have today are probably the refineries that we had a few months ago Well it also Russia Ukraine Exactly That my point My point is that domestic refining capacity would be good right Scott, is our refining capacity the same today as it was a few months ago when diesel was cheaper? Our refining capacity has been reduced over the last 20 years. OK, did you did you hear my question today? I think I think we've I think we're shutting down a refinery today. what it was a few months ago? Yes, the answer is yes. I mean, probably roughly, but I'm looking at it over 20 years. We've reduced refining capacity. That's not really what's causing the prediction. So your answer is no, no more refining? I didn't say anything about that. I'm just saying that's not what's causing the problem that we're in right now. Refining capacity is causing diesel prices to be high. No, it is not. It's not. The diesel prices doubling in the last few months is not being caused by refining capacity. We don't have refining capacity. It's been massively reduced. That is just not true. Every major economist will tell you this is true. Let me ask you a fourth time. Is our refining capacity today what it was a few months ago I don really know I assume it roughly the same So then how can you claim that our lack of refining capacity has caused Oh global refining has been reduced mostly because of Russia Ukraine You can just let go of the bad argument. It's not a good argument. You could let go of the fact that you have no idea what you're talking about. You just acknowledged... I mean, we have had massive reductions in refining in this world. Russia, Ukraine alone has taken refineries offline. You just acknowledge that there are global forces driving the rise of diesel prices. It's not something that was impacted by a lack of refineries in the last three months. It's just a false argument. I'm asking if in the United States we refined more, would we be less impacted by international events? Even if we built a refinery tomorrow, these are global markets. Oil and gas are global markets. We are going to be impacted maybe to a slightly lesser degree, but they are global markets. And that's why how we conduct ourselves on the world stage, the war in Iran, the war in Ukraine, these things actually matter. And that actually why people are pissed off because they don believe that President Trump leadership on those issues So only one taker on refineries I will say I think what I was saying is the starting price Honestly, it's a silly argument, and it's not even true. It's a silly argument, and it's not even true that the rise in diesel prices was driven by a lack of refineries. That is not the reason. Are you arguing that the Russia-Ukraine war hasn't knocked offline a bunch of refiners? That's where a lot of it comes from. Scott. It's absolutely true. Scott, the last six months? During the course of this war. And by the way, as Ukraine has pressed further into Russia, they have absolutely hit refineries. Scott, I'm talking about domestic refineries. You are arguing that a lack of domestic refineries led to a rise in the oil and gas. I'm saying we absolutely don't have enough refining to pay. We should build more refining. What you're saying is not true. Yes, exactly. What you're saying is not true. Long term and short term. Yeah. Yeah, you're arguing about six months. I'm arguing that Democrats have argued against domestic energy forever. And now you want me to trust them on gas prices. I'm arguing about what people are doing.