Trump Strikes at California and Elon Musk with EV Standards Rollback

Trump repeated his assertion that Musk's outburst was the result of his policies towards electric vehicles, something Musk has denied.

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US President Donald Trump has signed a series of congressional resolutions to roll back standards in California that would have phased out petrol-powered cars and promoted the use of electric vehicles (EVs). The move has sparked controversy, with Trump using the signing ceremony to strike blows against his political foes, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Elon Musk.

Trump argued that California’s standards would hamper the US car industry and limit consumer choice. “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 over the world, actually,” Trump said. “This horrible scheme would effectively abolish the internal combustion engine, which most people prefer.”

However, critics point out that many carmakers did not necessarily oppose California’s mandate. Automobile companies like General Motors had already put in place plans to transition to electric-vehicle manufacturing, to keep up with global trends. California and 11 other states have announced they will sue to keep the electric vehicle mandate in place.

Trump’s decision to roll back California’s EV standards is the latest chapter in his long-running beef with the state. He took jabs at Newsom’s management of protests in Los Angeles, blaming him for allowing the situation to spiral out of control. “If we didn’t go, Los Angeles right now would be on fire. It would be a disaster. And we stopped it,” Trump said, accusing Newsom of having “a faulty thought process” and trying to protect criminals.

The move has also sparked a reaction from Musk, who had previously supported Trump. Musk famously leads the electric vehicle company Tesla, and his relationship with Trump has been rocky of late. Trump repeated his assertion that Musk’s outburst was the result of his policies towards electric vehicles, something Musk has denied.

In addition to his feud with California and Musk, Trump also dropped a possible bombshell: More automobile tariffs may be on the way. “If they want a Mercedes-Benz, you’re going to have it made here. It’s OK to have a Mercedes, but they’re going to make it here,” he said. “Otherwise, they’re going to pay a very big tariff. They already are.”

Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have dismissed Trump’s concerns as little more than an attack on state rights. “Trump’s all-out assault on California continues — and this time he’s destroying our clean air and America’s global competitiveness in the process,” Newsom said in a statement. “We are suing to stop this latest illegal action by a President who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters.”

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