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Did the US become the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas during Donald Trump’s presidency?

By Tom Kertscher
NO

The U.S. became the world’s largest oil producer under Donald Trump, but the largest natural gas producer six years before he became president.

The U.S. became No. 1 in natural gas in 2011, supplanting Russia.

Trump took office in 2017. In 2018, the U.S. jumped from third to first in oil, passing Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The latest figures show the U.S. remains No. 1 in both under President Joe Biden.

The U.S. produced 12.9 million barrels of oil daily in 2023, exceeding Trump’s high of 12.25 million in 2019.

The U.S. produced more than 36,353 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2022.

The oil and gas production claim was made in the 2024 Republican National Committee platform, adopted July 15, 2024, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Asked for evidence, the RNC did not provide figures to back the claim.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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