President Trump Signs Resolutions Ending California’s 2035 EV Car Mandate

President Donald Trump signed off on three resolutions on Thursday, officially eliminating California’s 2035 new gas powered car sales ban mandate, as well as spurring Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta in filing a lawsuit in an attempt to stop it.

Chief amongst the three resolutions signed by Trump on Thursday is the resolution to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waiver for California’s 2035 mandate, which aimed to end the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035. Since the EPA waiver was first passed in December 2024 as a Biden Administration attempt to “Trump-proof” the mandate, supporters of the mandate deemed it safe because of Congress not being able to change it because of the  Congressional Review Act (CRA) being believed to not effect the waiver. The Biden Administration, backed up by reports from the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the Senate Parliamentarian, didn’t think that a House or Senate vote could overturn it. However, this was proven wrong last month following the House voting 246-164 to end the waiver, followed by the Senate voting 51-44 in favor.

In addition to the EPA waiver repeal resolution, two other resolutions were signed. One is the EPA approval of a similar California mandate for heavy duty trucks that the state agreed to repeal last month. The other resolution stops the EPA waiver for California’s low-nitrogen oxide truck emissions rule, which was also passed in December by the Biden administration.

Earlier this week, President Trump hinted that he would sign off on them, which ultimately came to fruition on Thursday.

“Under the previous administration, the federal government gave left-wing radicals in California dictatorial powers to control the future of the entire car industry,” said Trump on Thursday. “They approved Governor Gavin Newscum’s ridiculous plan to impose a 100% ban on all new gas powered cars within a very short period of time. Today we’re saving California, and we’re saving our entire country from a disaster. We officially rescue the US auto industry from destruction by terminating California’s electric vehicle mandate, once and for all.”

The signing in Washington, made alongside Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, also marked the latest Trump signing of a promise made on inauguration day. Many lawmakers praised the signing of the resolutions after the ceremony, including many from California who had been pressing for an end to the 2035 mandate for years.

“It’s official,” said Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA), who had pressed for an end to the mandate in both the California legislature and the U.S. Congress, in a post on X. “President Trump just signed our legislation to reverse Newsom’s gas-car ban “once and for all.” Californians can now continue to drive the cars of their choice.”

“Today’s decision by the President of the United States to repeal the governor’s rigid ban on gas-powered vehicles is a step in the right direction,” added Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach). “This strict government mandate causes major obstacles, including adding strain on our aging energy infrastructure and driving up the costs of living – not everyone can afford a $60,000 new EV along with the electricity costs that come with it.”

In addition, the automotive industry praised the action by Trump, as they had been very concerned about vehicle choice, consumer affordability, and a severe loss of sales stemming from the mandate.

“We have long advocated for one national standard that will allow us to stay competitive, continue to invest in U.S. innovation, and offer customer choice across the broadest lineup of gas-powered and electric vehicles,” said GM in a statement.

“Trump stood up for customer choice and helped restore a degree of balance to U.S. emissions regulations,” noted president and CEO Alliance for Automotive Innovation John Bozzella.

However, many also opposed Trump’s signing, saying that it will now subsequently give China the edge in developing electric cars and that it will worsen the environmental quality as a result.

“Under both Republican and Democratic administrations, California was consistently granted waivers under the Clean Air Act to implement stronger standards to help ensure cleaner air for our families,” expressed Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) in a statement. “By eliminating the filibuster and passing these polluter resolutions, President Donald Trump, EPA Administrator Zeldin and Republicans in Congress are undermining our state’s ability to protect the health of millions of Americans.

“From the party that once claimed the mantle of champion of state’s rights, the GOP is now only the party of polluter rights. This action will have devastating consequences not just on California, but on other states that have adopted the Golden State’s higher standards. This will ultimately result in dirtier air, and more asthma and lung cancer, and that will be their legacy.”

Shortly after the signing, both Governor Newsom and AG Bonta confirmed that they made good on their threat announced earlier in the week by suing the Trump administration over signing the resolutions. For Newsom, suing Trump is personal as the 2035 mandate had been one of his signature actions as Governor. With the mandate now effectively gone, it also likely ruins many of his other climate goals, like the 2045 plan for the state being completely carbon neutral.

“Trump’s all-out assault on California continues – and this time he’s destroying our clean air and America’s global competitiveness in the process,” expressed Newsom in a statement. “We are suing to stop this latest illegal action by a President who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters.”

“I’m filing a lawsuit against President Trump after he signed illegal resolutions to target California’s clean air policies,” added Newsom in a post on X. “Trump’s all-out assault on California continues, and this time he’s destroying our public health and America’s global competitiveness in the process.”

“The President’s reckless, politically motivated, and illegal attacks on California continue, this time with his attempt to trample on our longstanding authority to maintain more stringent clean vehicle standards,” added Bonta. “The President is busy playing partisan games with lives on the line and yanking away good jobs that would bolster the economy – ignoring that these actions have life or death consequences for California communities breathing dirty, toxic air. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: California will not back down. We will continue to fiercely defend ourselves from this lawless federal overreach.”

Despite the suit, the 2035 mandate is effectively now revoked, marking one of Newsom’s largest policy defeats to date.

“They can’t take us to court,” continued Trump. “They can’t do any of the things they can do with the executive orders, and it’s permanent. I’ll sign three pieces of legislation that will kill the California mandates forever, and they’re never coming back.”