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They asked to intervene, arguing the administration’s rule provided “vehicle manufacturers with the certainty that states cannot interfere with federal fuel economy standards.”

The decision to side with President Donald Trump could prompt a furious backlash from Democrats and environmentalists.

It also poses a risk for automakers if a Democrat wins the White House in next year’s election and reverses Trump’s actions, and also reinstates California’s right to set its own rules and tougher national emissions standards adopted by President Barack Obama.

A spokeswoman for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the action “doesn’t change our resolve to fight as long and hard as necessary to protect our standards.”

She added, “The courts have upheld our authority to set standards before and we’re hopeful they will yet again.”

Other automakers, such as Ford Motor Co, Honda Motor Co and Volkswagen AG, which announced a voluntary deal with California in July on emissions rules, are not joining the bid to intervene on the administration’s side.

The group backing Trump also includes Mazda, Nissan Motor Co, Kia Motors Corp and Subaru Co .

John Bozzella, president and chief executive of Global Automakers, a trade group representing major foreign firms, said the companies had little choice but to back the administration.

“It’s been the federal policy for the better part of 40 years that the federal government has the sole responsibility for regulating fuel economy standards, but it doesn’t have to get to that,” Bozzella told reporters, speaking for an ad-hoc group, the Coalition for Sustainable Automotive Regulation.