Then-President Donald Trump delivers remarks about American energy production during a visit to the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, in Midland, Texas.
The event, organized by three oil executives, underscores how Trump is courting an industry that ranked as a main beneficiary of his time in the White House, as he seeks to narrow President Biden’s fundraising advantage. Less than 24 hours later, Senate Democrats launched an investigation of Trump’s fundraising dinner last month at his Mar-a-Lago Club, where he asked oil executives to steer $1 billion to his campaign and pledged to reverse dozens of Biden’s environmental policies.
On Thursday, Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Finance Committee launched a joint investigation of the Mar-a-Lago meeting last month. The senators voiced concern that Trump’s request at the dinner may have been a quid pro quo and may have violated campaign finance laws, although experts say his conduct probably did not cross the threshold of being illegal.for a specific amount of campaign donations, according to the notes from the attendee.
“He’s my original oil guy that taught me so much about oil,” Trump said of Hamm, according to the attendee’s notes. “This guy knows more about oil and gas ... That’s all he knows. That’s the problem. He’s so boring to be with, you know, because all he wants to talk about is oil and gas.” Despite the oil industry’s complaints about Biden’s policies, the United States is now producing more oil than any country ever has, pumping nearly 13 million barrels per day on average last year.
“I had ANWR approved in Alaska. It’s the biggest oil farm,” he said, incorrectly stating the refuge holds an oil reserve “equivalent of Saudi Arabia, they think.” The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated somewhere between 4.3 billion and 11.8 billion barrels of oil lie underneath the refuge’s coastal plain, whereas Saudi Arabia has an estimated 267 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, according to the coalition of oil-producing nations led by Saudi Arabia and Russia.
“It’s probably the worst exoneration I’ve ever seen,” he said, vowing to use the special counsel’s report in the campaign.