Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been vocal about his support for higher gas prices as a means to prompt a shift towards electric vehicles in the market. This stance, dating back to 2003, has seen Kennedy advocating for the end of subsidies to oil companies and the inclusion of certain production costs, which could potentially lead to gasoline prices soaring to $22 per gallon.
Kennedy’s argument revolves around the idea of achieving energy independence from foreign oil, emphasizing the need for true market values. In an interview [1] last year, he stated, “The No. 1 thing we need to do as a nation is to get off of foreign oil,” highlighting the massive subsidies directed towards the carbon industry annually, in addition to the costs incurred from wars protecting oil interests.
During a speech at the University of California, Berkeley in 2016, Kennedy proposed that if oil companies were made to internalize costs linked to environmental and public health impacts, such as healthcare expenses and pollution damages, gasoline prices could reflect the true costs, potentially reaching $12 per gallon.
MUST WATCH: RFK Jr. wants gas prices to be higher so people are forced to buy electric vehicles. “We’d be paying $12 at the pump and we’d be sending the correct signals to the marketplace… we’d very quickly transition.” pic.twitter.com/vMawgOJuXe [2]
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) June 4, 2024 [3]
Kennedy envisions a scenario where stimulating the electric vehicle market becomes the norm, driving innovation and efficiency in alternative transportation technologies. He has also underscored the importance of a governmental framework that promotes energy-efficient solutions and penalizes inefficiencies in traditional oil and coal industries.
In various media appearances and articles, Kennedy has reiterated that if oil companies were to shoulder the genuine costs of production and environmental impact, gas prices would sit around $12 per gallon, encouraging mass adoption of electric vehicles. He criticized the oil industry for exerting undue influence, hindering the growth of disruptive technologies such as efficient electric vehicles and renewable energy sources.