“It’s not even so much that I think the administration is recommitting to oil and gas, it’s that nobody can tell what they’re trying to do,” said JUSTIN GUAY, director of global climate strategy at the environmental group Sunrise Project. “They’re not telling a coherent story.”

One activist familiar with the White House’s thinking put it to Playbook like this: “[The White House has] a really compelling case to make [for renewables] right now. … [But] they’ve continued to do what they’ve been trying to do since the beginning of this administration — which is to have it both ways.” This is the moment, they say, to consistently lay out that the current situation is exactlywhy the U.S. needs to wean itself off of fossil fuels.

But the climate community isn’t unanimous in this assessment of Biden’s handling of the issue.

“It would be a horrible mistake for the president to do anything but acknowledge the day-to-day angst on fuel costs,” DAVID KIEVE, president of the Environmental Defense Fund Action and a former administration official told Josh, Kelsey and Zack. “Poll after poll shows the No. 1 concern of the American people is cost to families.” (Worth noting: Kieve is married to Biden White House comms director KATE BEDINGFIELD.)