President Trump just ended California’s attempt to ban new gas and diesel vehicles by signing three resolutions that revoke its special emissions waivers.

Story Highlights

• Trump signed three Congressional Review Act resolutions that revoke California’s Environmental Protection Agency waivers for vehicle rules.
• The move blocks California’s 2035 zero-emission sales mandate and stricter heavy-truck standards, reversing Biden-era approvals.
• The administration says this protects consumer choice and stops states from removing gas, diesel, or hybrid options.
• California officials vow to sue, and major outlets frame the change as a setback for climate policy.

What Trump Signed And Why It Matters

On June 12, 2025, President Trump signed three Congressional Review Act resolutions that revoke Environmental Protection Agency waivers previously granted to California. These resolutions target California’s 2035 rule for one hundred percent zero-emission new car sales, medium and heavy-duty truck electrification rules, and a low nitrogen oxide truck standard. Axios and the Public Broadcasting Service documented the signing and its scope. A primary-source video from the event stresses that this reverses the Biden-era waiver approvals.

Trump said the California mandate had been “a disaster for this country” and argued it threatened U.S. industry by forcing a rapid electric vehicle shift without proof it would work nationwide. He framed the action as protecting American manufacturing and workers. While his claim is forceful, the available research package does not include a formal economic study to quantify harm, plant closures, or job losses tied to California’s rules, which limits the evidentiary record on that point.

How The Resolutions Change State Power

According to the administration’s account in a primary-source video, the resolutions permanently bar California and states that copy its rules from setting stricter tailpipe standards than the federal government. That means no state can impose a sales ban on new gas, diesel, or even hybrid vehicles. The action reasserts one national baseline and aims to prevent a patchwork that raises costs for automakers and drivers across state lines. Support from top transportation, energy, and environmental officials signals a unified policy shift.

The move directly targets California’s Advanced Clean Cars plan, which mapped a path to one hundred percent zero-emission new sales by 2035, with milestones in the late 2020s and early 2030s. During the last administration, the Environmental Protection Agency restored California’s special waiver, letting it set tougher rules than federal law. The Trump team now says the waiver created a backdoor national mandate since many states follow California. The new resolutions nullify that pathway and restore federal primacy over tailpipe rules.

What Opponents Say And The Legal Fight Ahead

California leaders, including the attorney general, call the action an attack on air quality and public health and have moved to sue, joined by other states. Major outlets describe California’s program as groundbreaking and frame Trump’s move as dismantling environmental policy. That narrative will shape public debate even as courts weigh the limits of the Congressional Review Act and the Clean Air Act’s waiver structure. The legal process could take months, and injunctions are possible, but are not documented here.

California’s regulators point to long-term climate goals and a detailed schedule to cut emissions, arguing the mandate is a needed tool to reach neutrality by mid-century. The California Air Resources Board has promoted the 2035 goal and interim targets as a roadmap for industry planning. Still, the research set here does not provide a peer-reviewed study proving the rules produce net positive outcomes that outweigh higher vehicle prices or grid costs. That gap leaves room for continued policy argument in court and in Congress.

What It Means For Drivers, Truckers, And The Economy

For drivers, the resolutions mean states cannot remove gas or hybrid choices from dealer lots. Consumers can still buy electric vehicles if they want them, but not because the state forces it. For truckers, the change pauses stricter state rules that would have raised equipment costs and complicated interstate freight. The administration says this guards jobs and keeps fleets flexible. Critics say it slows climate progress; they will have to prove concrete harms from delay in court or policy venues.

For the country, one national standard reduces regulatory chaos and protects supply chains. Automakers can plan product lines without building different versions for different states. That can help keep prices lower, which matters with high inflation and tight family budgets. The big question now is what the federal baseline will be. The Trump administration signaled support for all-of-the-above energy and for market choice. Congress may still refine tailpipe rules, but the state-driven ban is off the table for now.

Sources:

townhall.com, axios.com, pbs.org, kmbc.com, calmatters.org