According to a report by DWS News, on Sunday March 8, 2026, President Donald Trump has ruled out tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) despite a sharp rise in domestic gas prices, signaling instead a pivot toward aggressively refilling the nation’s emergency oil stockpile.
In a recent interview, Trump took aim at the energy policies of his predecessor and the outcome of the 2024 election, characterizing the previous administration’s use of the reserve as a failed political gambit.
The President alleged that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was depleted for political gain rather than genuine emergency needs. He specifically linked the drawdowns to the 2024 campaign, which he claims resulted in a historic mandate for his return to office.
“Biden used the SPR so that he could get some extra votes in the election,” Trump said. “It turned out it wasn’t even him that ran. It was Kamala and she obviously didn’t get any extra votes because we won in an absolute landslide. So, he shouldn’t have used it for that.”
Trump claimed that the current levels are a direct result of mismanagement, stating, “I filled it up and he brought it down to the lowest level it’s ever been.”
While energy analysts often look to market fluctuations and global supply metrics to determine when to buy or sell from the SPR, President Trump indicated that his administration would follow a more personal approach to restoring the levels.
“We will start at the appropriate time, which is basically a gut instinct,” Trump remarked. “We will start filling up these strategic reserves.”
Watch the video starting from 0:53 to 1:29