DeSantis pledges $2 gas if elected — though presidents only have limited say

Presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) unveiled a plan Wednesday that he said aims to deliver gasoline at $2 per gallon in 2025.

Presidential policies only have limited impacts on gasoline prices, since oil markets are global, and in the U.S, private companies rather than politicians make decisions on whether to drill.

Nevertheless, DeSantis says he will hone in on lowering energy prices.

“As President, I will be laser-focused on reducing gas prices and energy costs,” DeSantis said in a written statement. “We will unleash American energy dominance as a way to stop inflation and achieve $2 gas in 2025.”

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. is currently about $3.88 per gallon. Prices rose in recent weeks amid supply cuts from Saudi Arabia and Russia.

DeSantis’s campaign has struggled to gain traction despite high expectations for the candidate ahead of his entry into the Republican primary. Former President Trump is considered to be the front-runner for the party’s nomination.

Like others in the GOP field, DeSantis’s energy plan focuses on bolstering fossil fuels and loosening environmental and climate regulations.

A summary of the plan said that the candidate would unleash “oil and gas exploration and development, pipelines, and infrastructure on Day One,” but he did not say specifically how he would do so.

The plan also said he would repeal President Biden’s electric vehicle policies at a time when pay during the shift toward electric vehicles is one source of tension among striking auto workers.

That’s not the only Biden climate policy DeSantis said he would go after. The governor also said he would repeal a proposal that seeks to limit climate pollution from power plants, withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement and target rules pertaining to sustainable investing and home appliance efficiency.

He would also look to bolster the development of oil and gas and mining of coal, uranium and other minerals on federal lands and establish a “critical mineral strategic reserve.”