Just more misdirection
Exactly. This was done for one reason and one reason only: so that he can go out on the campaign trail and tell the ignoramuses that will vote for him that he’s approved all kinds of exploration. He’ll conveniently omit the “but not drilling” part, as will his sycophants in the press, and the morons that make up 57% of our country will swallow it w/o a second thought.