Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) slammed President Joe Biden over his decision to enact restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Biden administration negotiated a deal with environmental groups to curb gas and oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in order to protect Rice's whales, an endangered species, the Oil and Gas Journal reported. The news was not met well by Manchin, who derided the move as jeopardizing energy security in the United States.

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“This Administration continues to kowtow to radical environmentalists at the expense of American energy security and costs to American families," Manchin said in a statement. "Let me be clear, the exclusion of more than 6 million productive acres from the upcoming offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico based on a settlement reached in the name of protecting Rice’s whale while conveniently only targeting oil and gas is yet another example of this Administration's intentional undermining of the strong energy security provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act."

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"Notably, they have issued no such blanket ban for future offshore wind in this area," he continued. "Today’s announcement comes months after the Department of the Interior put in black and white that they were choosing climate over energy security during the Alaska lease sale.”

Manchin's latest hit against Biden comes as rumors swirl about a possible third-party presidential run from the centrist Democrat. The West Virginia senator has remained ambiguous about a possible run.