According to energy expert Robert Rapier, we are a "net exporter," of energy, and have been for years. That mostly is accounted for in Natural Gas and Coal, When Obama took office, we were importing 12.5-million barrels of oil a day. When he left office, we were down to 4.2-million barrels a day. By May of 2020 that daily net import amount had reached zero, where it has stayed ever since. So, we in fact are "independent," as defined by the energy industry.
To illustrate how we import in a time of independence, look at natural gas. There is a part of New England where it is cheaper to import LNG off a ship and send it to market via existing gas lines, than to build new lines from current US refiners. Understanding this takes more than "black and white," thinking. But, the policies of Obama-Trump-Biden, have not negatively impacted our energy independence.
