larry johnson speaks about the trump oil claims;

 

 Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States is producing more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined. He has made this statement multiple times in 2026, often emphasizing it as a result of his “Drill, Baby, Drill” policies. Only one little problem… It ain’t exactly true.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), US crude oil production grew by 3%, or 350,000 barrels per day, in 2025, setting a new annual production record of 13.6 million barrels per day. Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production, prior to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on 28 February, was approximately 10.086 million barrels per day, up slightly from 10.073 million bpd in December 2025. And Russia? In 2025, Russia produced 9.1–9.3 million barrels per day.

Trump’s claim is technically accurate only if we count total petroleum liquids — i.e., crude oil + natural gas liquids like ethane, propane, butane, plus refinery processing gain and other liquids. Using this broad definition, it is true that the US produces a total of 23–24 million barrels per day versus Russia and Saudi Arabia’s combined output of 21–22 million barrels per day.

But here’s the problem… The US is NOT energy independent. I want to encourage you to watch Danny Davis’ conversation with Art Berman (click here). When Trump boasts about the US being the world’s largest oil producer, he is telling a misleading story. It is true that he US produces enormous volumes of oil, but the type of oil it produces doesn’t fully match what its refinery infrastructure and economy actually need, making continued imports not just economically convenient but structurally necessary.............more..........