A high-stakes clash between California and the Trump administration escalated Thursday as President Donald Trump directed federal environmental officials to overturn the state’s landmark green energy policies championed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The move delivers a significant setback to California’s radical left-wing climate agenda, which includes a mandate for the entire state to reach net-zero emissions by 2045—the most ambitious timeline in the country. Central to that plan was a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035.
That policy was formally reversed by Trump through the signing of three congressional resolutions passed last month, which nullify state-level efforts to prohibit gas-powered cars and trucks. The targeted bans aimed to reduce tailpipe emissions and nitrogen oxide pollution from diesel vehicles. During the signing ceremony, Trump dismissed Newsom’s law as “crazy.”
“No autopens allowed,” joked Trump, a reference to the controversy surrounding executive orders issued by former President Joe Biden. “Lower prices, better cars, and choice,” he added. “It’s been a disaster for this country.”
The resolutions signed Thursday halt the enforcement of a California law that aimed to ban the sale of medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks, while also restricting emissions from existing models sold before 2035.
In his remarks, Trump voiced skepticism about electric vehicles becoming the dominant form of transportation. However, he made a point to praise Tesla—a symbolic gesture suggesting he may be moving toward reconciliation with Elon Musk, who issued a public apology on Wednesday.
Trump also used his remarks to hammer the reliability of windmills, which he claimed are “killing the country,” and floated the possibility of getting electrocuted by an electric-powered boat if it sank versus being eaten by a shark. “I’ll take electrocution every single day,” the president joked.
The current car market, he added, allows Americans to pick and choose what kind of car they want to buy. “If you want to buy electric, you can buy electric,” he told reporters in the East Wing. Bill Kent, the owner of California-based Kent Kwik convenience stores, attended the ceremony and spoke positively about the effect that Trump’s three orders would have on his business.
“What this does is it gives us freedom,” Kent said, saying he can now avoid being forced to install “infrastructure that, frankly, is extremely expensive and doesn’t give you any return.”
