In a move sure to inflame environmental tensions, Donald Trump has blocked California’s landmark plan to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035, setting up a legal clash over the state’s authority to fight air pollution.
In short:
- Trump signed resolutions undoing California’s rules to end sales of gas-powered cars and cut truck pollution, despite the state’s long-standing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waivers that allowed it to set stricter standards.
- California and ten other Democratic-led states immediately sued, calling the move illegal and damaging to public health, with Governor Newsom accusing Trump of siding with polluters.
- Trump doubled down on support for fossil fuels and combustion engines, casting doubt on electric vehicles and mocking climate efforts in a rambling East Room speech.
Key quote:
“The federal government’s actions are not only unlawful; they’re irrational and wildly partisan. They come at the direct expense of the health and the wellbeing of our people.”
— Rob Bonta, California Attorney General
Why this matters:
California’s clean car rules aim to cut carbon and clean up the toxic tailpipe emissions that disproportionately choke low-income and minority communities near highways and freight corridors. California’s ready for a fight, and so are the dozen other states that follow its lead. But while the lawyers argue, the clock ticks on cleaner air and a livable climate.
