President Trump defended his diesel agreement against criticism from within his own party, telling reporters that the Republicans objecting to the deal are not engaging with the real trade-offs involved.
Asked to respond to public criticism of the arrangement, Trump said, "Well, I think these are recovering good terms, can't really be serious."
The president pointed to the scale of U.S. energy production and the consequences of restricting it on the world market.
Trump: Restricting Oil Would Hit the Rest of the World
"We have, you know, we make a lot of oil," Trump said. "We could do a restriction in oil, but the rest of the world would be greatly affected if we do that."
He extended the same logic to diesel, describing what a hold-back would look like.
"And we could do a restriction, you know, a cap for diesel. Keep it all for ourselves," he said. "That would have a very big impact."
The president rejected the framing that the arrangement is a personal deal, describing it as one that serves a broader set of interests.
"And it's not really a deal with me," Trump said. "It's a deal for the rest of the world."
'Anything That Could Help Our Farmers, Our Ranchers, I Like'
Trump tied his support for the agreement directly to the people he says it benefits.
"So anything that can help our farmers or ranches, I like," he said.
He closed by pointing toward the work still ahead and brushing aside the criticism.
"And I do think this is the list we have to focus on making the deal. Not talking about that."
