President Donald Trump attacked automakers for the second time in a matter of days, chiding their “foolish executives” as his administration completed the final step of a three-year quest to dismantle Obama-era fuel efficiency rules.

Days after demanding that General Motors and Ford Motor make ventilators, Trump claimed unidentified company leaders were being “politically correct” by not endorsing his efforts to ease gas mileage and emissions regulations for automobiles, a move that has enraged environmentalists and sparked courtroom battles.

The back-to-back critiques are coming from a president who billed himself as a champion of the industry and welcomed Detroit’s CEOs to the White House within days of his inauguration.

He delivered Tuesday on a vow to relax regulations he said were too burdensome by requiring the industry to boost new car fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent per year through 2026. The previous mandate required improvements of roughly 5 per cent annually.

My proposal to the politically correct Automobile Companies would lower the average price of a car to consumers by more than $3500, while at the same time making the cars substantially safer. Engines would run smoother. Positive impact on the environment! Foolish executives! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 31, 2020

While Trump seemingly lumped all auto companies together in his tweet, his fuel standards initiative has fractured the industry.

Ford, BMW, Honda and Volkswagen last summer volunteered to meet more stringent emissions goals set by California and said they wouldn’t support federal legal challenges to the state’s ability to set its own rules. GM, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota sided with the White House by calling for a unified standard.

Volvo Cars, owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, followed up news of the revised federal rules by joining the group of carmakers volunteering to meet California’s tougher standards. Ford also reiterates its pledge to adhere to California’s targets.

“We remain committed to meeting emission reductions consistent with the California framework and continue to believe this path is what’s best for our customers, the environment and the short- and long-term health of the auto industry,” Bob Holycross, Ford’s vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering, said in a statement.

John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents almost all major carmakers, said the industry has consistently called for year-over-year fuel economy and greenhouse gas improvements.

“We also recognize that the standards that were put in place 10 years ago or so are no longer appropriate in light of shifting market conditions and consumer preferences,” Bozzella said.

Last week, the president took Detroit – and particularly GM and its Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra – to task for moving too slowly to build breathing devices for coronavirus victims. Shortly after Trump sent a set of angry tweets, the company announced a deal to partner with a ventilator maker and start production within weeks — with or without the federal contract they had been seeking.