Trump Promised to ‘Drill, Baby, Drill.’ The New Rigs Are Nowhere to Be Found

During his presidential campaign and throughout his time in office, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to expand oil and gas drilling in the United States. He famously used the slogan ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ to rally his supporters and tout his energy policies.

However, as Trump’s term came to an end, it became apparent that the new drilling rigs he had promised were nowhere to be found. Despite efforts to open up more public lands and waters to fossil fuel extraction, the expansion of drilling platforms and rigs did not materialize as expected.

Environmental advocates and critics of Trump’s energy policies argued that the lack of new rigs was a direct result of market forces, as the demand for fossil fuels began to decline and the push for renewable energy sources grew stronger.

Furthermore, the Trump administration faced legal challenges and opposition from local communities and indigenous groups, who opposed the expansion of drilling in their territories and sought to protect their lands and water sources.

As a result, the promise of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ turned out to be more rhetoric than reality, and Trump’s efforts to boost the fossil fuel industry through new drilling rigs fell short of expectations.

With the new Biden administration taking office, the focus has shifted towards clean energy initiatives and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, signaling a potential shift away from the ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ mantra of the past four years.

It remains to be seen how the energy landscape will evolve in the coming years and whether the promises of the Trump era will be replaced by a new vision for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

In the meantime, the absence of the promised new drilling rigs serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges inherent in balancing energy needs with environmental concerns in a rapidly changing world.