WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has enacted a measure on Thursday that prevents California from implementing a groundbreaking rule eliminating new gas-powered car sales by 2035. While the ink on the resolution was still drying, California swiftly initiated a legal challenge against the move. The state’s attorney general wasted no time, holding a press briefing even before the conclusion of Trump’s signing ceremony at the White House.
The resolution, cleared by Congress the previous month, targets the nation’s boldest effort yet to move away from gas-powered vehicles. Beyond the car ban, Trump also put his signature on measures countering state-enacted regulations that seek to restrict both tailpipe emissions from certain automobiles and smog-contributing nitrogen oxide pollution originating from trucks.
Deeming California’s regulations as “crazy” during a White House gathering, Trump expressed his displeasure by stating, “It’s been a disaster for this country.” This decision is the latest development in the ongoing clash between Trump and California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, with issues ranging from tariffs to electric vehicle charger funding on the table. Moreover, tension has escalated recently over Trump’s decision to send troops to Los Angeles amidst immigration protests.
California is no stranger to legal disputes with the Trump administration, currently embroiled in more than two dozen lawsuits. Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the latest lawsuit at a California news conference, alongside ten other states with Democratic attorneys general adding their names to the legal battle.
Bonta criticized the federal government’s actions as both “unlawful” and “irrational,” arguing they come at the detriment of public health and the well-being of citizens. The three resolutions, if left standing, would stop California’s progress in halting gas-powered vehicle sales by 2035, as well as measures phasing out diesel vehicles and reducing truck emissions.
Despite these moves, Trump voiced skepticism regarding the efficiency and dependability of electric cars during his White House address. However, he did have a few positive remarks for Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, noting, “I like Tesla.” Other comments during the ceremony veered off agenda, including critiques of windmills and various hypothetical scenarios involving electric-powered boats.
Expressing a personal preference for combustion engines, Trump noted the freedom of choice for consumers to purchase electric vehicles if they so desired. Businessman Bill Kent supported Trump’s move, arguing at the White House that California’s regulations would have compelled him to make costly and unfruitful investments in infrastructure.
Applauding Trump’s decision, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing major car manufacturers, expressed relief, with president and CEO John Bozzella stating the electric vehicle sales targets were unrealistic.
Governor Newsom, considered a likely contender for the Democratic presidential ticket in 2028, asserted that the federal government’s moves were illegal, citing it as an “all-out assault” on California. Newsom pledged to protect the state’s environmental stance, signing an executive order mandating state regulators to propose new rules to curb emissions further if California’s challenged regulations survive in court.
Trump’s recent environmental rollbacks are part of his wider encouragement of American auto production and increase in oil and gas extraction. Additionally, efforts continue to dismantle other regulations like those limiting emissions from coal and natural gas-driven power plants. Critics like Dan Becker from the Center for Biological Diversity see the resolutions as betraying democracy’s principles, accusing Trump of favoring big corporations at the public’s expense.
Historically, California has exercised its ability to apply stricter emissions standards than federal guidelines by seeking waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency. Although Trump removed California’s waiver during his tenure, President Joe Biden restored it in 2022; Trump has yet to undertake another revocation attempt.
Critics from the GOP have long opposed these waivers. A Congressional Review Act was used earlier in the year to attempt blocking the rules, despite contradicting findings from the U.S. Government Accountability Office and a Senate parliamentarian.
California wields significant influence over the auto industry as it accounts for about 11% of the U.S. car market. The state’s emissions rules had inspired nearly a dozen other states to follow suit, adopting similar standards to phase out gas-powered car sales.