President Donald Trump signed three Congressional Review Act resolutions on Monday, formally repealing a set of California vehicle emissions rules that had become a model for other states seeking to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The move marks a key step in fulfilling his Day 1 executive order to swiftly unwind electric vehicle mandates nationwide.
“With today’s action, we officially rescue the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating California’s electric vehicle mandate, once and for all,” Trump said at a White House signing ceremony, flanked by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
The signing took place in the Oval Office, where the president delivered a broad-ranging speech addressing topics such as inflation, his ongoing criticisms of wind energy, and his recent dispute with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“Now we know why Elon doesn’t like me so much,” Trump said, adding that Musk never asked him to preserve EV mandates and attributing their falling out to “other smaller things.”
While the administration has also challenged federal emissions rules, California’s more aggressive standards — aimed at phasing out gas-powered passenger vehicles and heavy-duty diesel trucks — have faced the most significant pushback from both the automotive and fossil fuel industries. California’s rules are currently followed by more than a dozen other states, collectively representing around a third of the U.S. auto market.
“Worse than unachievable, these EV mandates were going to be harmful,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “Harmful to auto affordability, to consumer choice, to industry competitiveness, and to economic activity.”
The decision to revoke California’s authority unfolds amid deteriorating relations between Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, particularly as the president ordered the military to address unrest in Los Angeles following immigration raids. It also comes shortly after Musk, a former White House adviser, publicly clashed with Trump over EV policy.
Trump’s signature effectively eliminates California’s waiver, which had long allowed the state to impose stricter emissions standards than federal guidelines — a policy in place for decades that enabled California to lead on vehicle pollution regulation.
