A viral social media post accurately details certain facts regarding former President Joe Biden’s actions concerning the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). However, it overlooks a significant event that occurred during President Donald Trump’s term.
The post, shared by conservative commentator Eric Daugherty, asserts that President Biden "destroyed" the SPR by releasing 180 million barrels before the 2022 midterm elections. It further claims that one of the reserve’s storage sites was left inoperable, necessitating President Trump to rectify the situation. This narrative has gained traction amidst heightened discussions about U.S. energy policy and escalating tensions in the Middle East. An examination of official records, government reports, and public statements provides context to these claims.
Claim: Biden destroyed the SPR.
The assertion is that the Biden administration depleted the SPR, releasing 180 million barrels, damaging the system, and leaving Trump to restore it.
Fact Check: Partially accurate, but significantly incomplete.
The core claim about the volume released is correct. In 2022, the Biden administration authorized the release of 180 million barrels from the SPR to address global energy disruptions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This constituted the largest emergency drawdown in the reserve’s history, reducing oil inventories by approximately one-third, with most of these releases occurring before the November 2022 midterm elections.
Following the drawdown, the reserve was not fully replenished. Prior to the release, the SPR held about 727 million barrels. By the end of 2024, inventories had only recovered to approximately 394 million barrels, a level considerably lower than before the drawdown.
Evidence also supports the claims of operational damage. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated in a March 2026 interview that damage incurred during the 2022 drawdown left the government operating from only three out of four storage cavern groups. A July 2026 Government Accountability Office review similarly indicated that over a quarter of the SPR’s oil is currently inaccessible due to equipment failures and salt-cavern deformation, with withdrawal capacity reduced to about 61% of its designed level. The report estimated that roughly $230 million in repairs remain unfunded.
One specific allegation – that equipment purchased for the reserve was left exposed to the elements and ruined – could not be independently verified through public government reports or independent documentation.
However, the broader narrative presented in the post is misleading. It frames Trump’s actions as solely a recovery effort from Biden’s depletion. This overlooks the fact that the Trump administration also authorized a substantial emergency release in March 2026. This release was in response to the disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war.
That drawdown involved 172 million barrels as part of an international effort with 32 countries. Consequently, the SPR fell to approximately 325–331 million barrels by late June 2026, its lowest point since 1983 and significantly below the level Trump inherited upon taking office.
Therefore, the current historically low level of the reserve cannot be solely attributed to decisions made during the Biden administration. While Biden’s 2022 drawdown and the resulting infrastructure issues are well-documented, the Trump administration also significantly reduced the reserve during a separate global energy crisis.
In essence, the viral video accurately reports factual elements regarding Biden’s 2022 SPR drawdown, including the volume released, the incomplete recovery, and ongoing infrastructure challenges. However, its overall perspective is misleading due to the omission of Trump’s own 2026 emergency drawdown, which contributed to even lower reserve levels. The complete picture reveals that both administrations utilized the SPR extensively during distinct geopolitical crises, and neither left it fully replenished.