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VERIFY: No, the Biden Administration is not to blame for the gas shortage

A lot of claims on social media say the president is the reason behind the gas shortage.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you've had a hard time finding gas in the Charlotte area, there's good news: tankers are delivering fuel to stations that are out of gas, and government officials are hopeful things are back to normal by the weekend.

But as the shortage was at its peak, WCNC Charlotte saw a lot of headlines and social media posts blaming President Biden and his administration for the recent gas shortage. 

THE QUESTION

Is President Biden responsible for the gas shortage?

THE SOURCES

  • Director of External Communications for AAA Jeanette Casselano McGee
  • Winthrop Political Science Professor, Dr. Scott Huffmon

THE ANSWER

No, President Biden and his administration are not responsible for a gas shortage, but they should be part of the solution. 

WHAT WE FOUND

Dr. Huffmon said a lot of the blaming we’re seeing happening online is due to the polarized world we live in right now.

"Everything is politicized today, to the point, where if someone stubs their toe, it’s the fault of the other political party," Dr. Huffman said. "Colonial is a private company. To say a president who has been in office for a bit over 100 days is at fault for this ransomware attack doesn’t make a lot of sense."

RELATED: Cyberattack on US pipeline is linked to criminal gang

While Dr. Huffmon said Biden's administration is not to blame for the gas shortage, he said it’s up to his administration to make sure cyberattacks like the one on the colonial pipeline don't keep happening. 

"There will absolutely never be a way to completely and utterly prevent this now that everything is online, but it is incumbent on the administration to work to mitigate it in the future, even if the particular attack is not their fault," he clarified.

RELATED: Where are the gas shortages in my area?

As far as if a shortage is actually happening, McGee said it’s important to keep things in context. 

"Yes, possibly in your market you're seeing a lot of bagged pumps and stations that just don't have fuel, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of fuel in the United States," she said. "There’s ample supply. The issue we have right now is there's a pipeline that provides nearly half the gas to the east coast that is not flowing fuel. Once that’s up and running, we will have gas in a more timely matter."

RELATED: 71% of Charlotte stations out of fuel, GasBuddy reports

Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

VERIFY is dedicated to helping the public distinguish between true and false information. The VERIFY team, with help from questions submitted by the audience, tracks the spread of stories or claims that need clarification or correction. Have something you want VERIFIED? Text us at 704-329-3600 or visit /verify.

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