President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his administration is revoking California’s legal authority to set its own auto emissions standards. Trump said the move will “produce far less expensive cars for the consumer, while at the same time making the cars substantially SAFER,” a statement California Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted as “simply inaccurate.” “This will lead to more production because of this pricing and safety advantage, and also due to the fact that older, highly polluting cars, will be replaced by new, extremely environmentally friendly cars,” Trump tweeted. He added that “there will be very little difference in emissions between the California Standard and the new U.S. Standard, but the cars will be far safer and much less expensive.”

The Trump Administration is revoking California’s Federal Waiver on emissions in order to produce far less expensive cars for the consumer, while at the same time making the cars substantially SAFER. This will lead to more production because of this pricing and safety...... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2019

The state has been in an ongoing legal fight with the Trump administration for the last year over its right to that waiver, which has major influence on the manufacturing of all cars sold in the U.S. The revocation has long been expected as part of Trump’s effort to roll back former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which mandates that automakers double the fuel economy of all new cars and light trucks. However, sources familiar with the decision told the Times that this is the only confirmed change as Trump’s policymakers have struggled to find legal and scientific justification for the full overhaul. The federal government has sanctioned California’s waiver for nearly 50 years, and 13 other states also follow California’s car pollution standards. In June, Canada ended two decades of aligning itself with U.S. fuel standards and signed on to California’s rules. Newsom, a Democrat, vowed to wage a legal battle against Trump’s plan. “It’s a move that could have devastating consequences for our kids’ health and the air we breathe, if California were to roll over,” he said in a written statement about Tuesday’s report. “But we will not — we will fight this latest attempt and defend our clean car standards. California, global markets, and Mother Nature will prevail.” Newsom also responded on Twitter soon after Trump’s announcement Wednesday. “Your standards will cost consumers $400 billion. Result in 320 billion more gallons of oil burned and spewed into our air,” the governor tweeted.

This is simply inaccurate.



Your standards will cost consumers $400 billion.



Result in 320 billion more gallons of oil burned and spewed into our air.



And hurt car companies’ ability to compete in a global market.



It’s bad for our air. Bad for our health. Bad for our economy. https://t.co/VHPxG59gMO — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 18, 2019