Former President Barack Obama thinks he should be thanked for America’s status as the world’s number-one oil producer in 2018 under President Donald Trump.
While speaking on Tuesday during a question-and-answer session in Houston, Texas, Trump’s predecessor complained about the lack of credit he’s receiving for America’s oil production gains and economic growth.
When moderator Jon Meacham, an author and MSNBC contributor, asked Obama, “What do you want us to think about in terms of your presidency?” the former president pointed to Obamacare and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Trump campaigned on repealing and replacing Obamacare and announced in 2017 that he would be withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement in order to protect American sovereignty and jobs.
“I know we are an oil country and we need American energy,” Obama insisted.
“And by the way, American energy production — you wouldn’t always know it, but it went up every year I was president. And that whole — suddenly America is like the biggest oil producer.”
“That was me, people,” Obama proclaimed.
The U.S. surpassed Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world’s number-one oil producer in September — more than a year-and-a -half into Trump’s presidency.
But Obama wanted the world to know that it was his own doing, not Trump’s.
The former president also complained about Wall Street and big businesses that did not approve of his high-tax policies and are now thriving under the historic economic boom under Trump.
“So sometimes you go to Wall Street and folks be grumbling about ‘anti-business,'” Obama said sourly. “I said, ‘Have you checked where your stocks were when I came in office and where they are now? What are you talking — what are you complaining about? Just say thank you, please.'”
Business owners should not blame him “because I want to raise your taxes a couple percent to make sure kids have a chance to go to school,'” Obama insisted.
This wasn’t the first time Obama has tried to take credit for Trump’s economy.
In October, the former president said during a speech in Las Vegas that the credit goes to him.
Related: Obama Takes Credit for Booming Economy; Kudlow Not Having It
“When I walked into office 10 years ago, we were in the middle of the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes,” Obama said. “By the time I left office, wages were rising, the uninsurance rate was falling, poverty was falling, and that’s what I handed off to the next guy.”
“So when you hear all this talk about economic miracles right now, remember who started it,” Obama declared pompously.
National Economic Council (NEC) Director Larry Kudlow ripped Obama that month for attempting to take Trump’s credit.
“I don’t think he is right, with all respect to former President Obama,” Kudlow said in October on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” noting that the “so-called recovery” under Obama’s “stewardship” wasn’t the greatest.
“Already, we have beaten our critics, including Obama’s staff people. We’re running an economy that’s 3 to 4 percent economic growth,” Kudlow said.
“President Trump has cut tax rates on small businesses and corporations and individuals. And he wants to do some more. That’s a huge change from President Obama … The president has stopped the war against success, stopped the war against energy, stopped the war against fossil fuels. He is rewarding success.”
Check out Obama’s remarks in the video below:
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