President Trump escalated his feud with California on Thursday by signing three measures that would block the state’s rule banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.
In a lavish ceremony in the White House East Room, Mr. Trump blasted the Biden administration for granting California a waiver to impose the stringent emissions standards.
“Under the previous administration, the federal government gave left-wing radicals in California dictatorial powers to control the future of the entire car industry all over the country, all of the world, actually,” the president said.
“The horrible scheme would abolish the internal combustion engine, which most people prefer,” Mr. Trump said, adding that California’s mandate essentially requires companies to build cars for “two different countries” because they have to meet separate emissions standards based on where the car is sold.
Mr. Trump signed a resolution approved by Congress last month that nixes the most aggressive steps in the country to phase out gas-powered cars and replace them with electric vehicles. The president also put his signature on measures that will overturn California’s authority to impose stricter emissions rules for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, along with higher standards for heavy-duty diesel engines.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin attended the event along with members of the car industry and House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said last month that California will sue the Trump administration to protect its ability to set its own vehicle emission rules, but added that he would wait until Mr. Trump signed off on the measure before going to court. Once filed, it would mark the 24th lawsuit the state has filed against the Trump administration this year.
“The federal government’s overreach is illogical,” Mr. Bonta said at a press conference last month. “It’s politically motivated and it comes at the expense of Californians’ lives and livelihood.”
The measure was approved by Congress, making it more difficult for it to be overturned by a court or through executive order by a Democratic administration in the future.
Mr. Trump’s signing comes as he battles California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, over his deployment of troops to Los Angeles to quell the riots that have erupted there in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s raids targeting migrants.
Mr. Trump has insisted that Los Angeles would have “burned to the ground” without his mobilizing the California National Guard and U.S. Marines, saying Mr. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass were too “incompetent” to handle the chaos. Mr. Newsom responded by suing the Trump administration, arguing that the president didn’t have the authority to deploy the state National Guard.
Daniel Villasenor, a spokesman for Mr. Newsom, said in a statement that Mr. Trump’s rescission of the EV mandates is the latest skirmish between the president and California.
“If it’s a day ending in Y, it’s another day of Trump’s war on California. We’re fighting back,” Mr. Villasenor said.
Under California’s auto mandate, 35% of new 2026 model cars sold in the state must have zero emissions. That ramps up to 68% in 2030 and 100% in 2035.
Congress gave California the power to set its own, more stringent vehicle standards under the 1967 Clean Air Act because of its highly polluted air and large population. However, the EPA must grant the state a waiver for each standard the state adopts.
The Biden administration in 2023 granted California the waiver to impose the more stringent standards.
This latest resolution, part of the Congressional Review Act, marks the first time Congress has blocked any of California’s car and truck rules since the 1967 Clean Air Act.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.