Joe Biden boasts offshore drilling ban while cruising in vintage gas-guzzling Corvette with Jay Leno

WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Joe Biden revisited one of his prized possessions recently, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, during an appearance on ‘Jay Leno's Garage’, where the conversation ranged from classic American cars and labor unions to his environmental record.

But one moment from the drive generated the most attention after Biden proudly reflected on the offshore drilling restrictions enacted during his presidency. The remarks quickly sparked debate online, with supporters pointing to the move as part of Biden's climate agenda while critics questioned the optics of discussing restrictions on fossil fuel production from inside a classic V8-powered sports car.

Joe Biden revisits offshore drilling restrictions during Corvette ride

The episode, which was filmed in April and released this week, offered viewers a relaxed conversation between Biden and Leno as they drove the Corvette Biden has owned for decades.

In January 2025, in one of his last acts as president, Joe Biden permanently banned offshore drilling across 625 million acres of US ocean.

Biden boasted about the offshore drilling restrictions while cruising down the highway in his vintage Corvette.

“The other thing I was able to do, I made sure there could be no oil drilling off the East Coast, the West Coast and 150 miles off the Gulf of Mexico [unintelligible] too,” Biden said to Jay Leno.

In January 2025, during the final days of his presidency, Biden announced protections covering roughly 625 million acres of federal waters, restricting future offshore oil and gas leasing across large portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, eastern Gulf of Mexico and parts of Alaska.

Earlier in his term, his administration also canceled the Keystone XL pipeline permit and limited new drilling activity in parts of Alaska.

Energy policies remain a political flashpoint

Biden's environmental agenda has remained one of the defining features of his presidency and continues to divide opinion.

Supporters argue the restrictions were necessary to combat climate change, protect coastal ecosystems and accelerate America's transition toward cleaner energy.

Among the topics discussed during their extended ride, which, of course, included a stop for ice cream was the impact Biden’s presidency had on protected lands in California, his preference for American-made cars, his million-plus miles traveled on the Amtrak, and one tender discussion of Biden’s late son, Beau Biden.

While traveling in the sunshine, with Secret Service in tow, Biden told the host that he wished Leno had gotten to meet Beau before sharing a story of remembrance that nearly brought him to tears.

The story then shifted forward to the moment when, after Beau returned home and was diagnosed with brain cancer, he urged his father not to give up on his career due to grief.

After a dinner at Beau’s house, he told the then-vice president, “Dad, I’m not afraid of dying. It’ll be OK. I know I’m going, all right, Dad? And I know what you’re going to do. You’re going to quit when I die. Dad, look at me. Look at me, Dad, god dammit… give me your word as a Biden you will not quit when I die.”

Still, it was his brief remark about blocking offshore drilling, delivered while driving one of America's most iconic muscle cars, that ultimately became the interview's most talked-about moment.