Trump opens a new front with California, in the name of thermal cars

"We are officially saving the American auto industry from destruction," the head of state said at an event held at the White House.

The resolution was passed by Congress in May to prevent California from banning the sale of new combustion engine cars in 2035, in favor of low-carbon vehicles.

The western US state quickly took legal action to defend a derogation mechanism through which it sets stricter environmental standards than federal legislation.

The US president's policy "compromises our lives, our economy and our environment," accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

"It's irresponsible, illegal," he continued.

The most populous and richest state in the United States, California, with its Democratic majority, has been made a bogeyman by Donald Trump.

He recently ordered the deployment of soldiers to Los Angeles, against the advice of local authorities, following protests against his tough immigration policy.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential election, has denounced a drift toward authoritarianism.

"Leftists"

In a long speech punctuated by digressions, Donald Trump asserted that "under the previous administration, the federal government gave Californian leftists the dictatorial power to control the future of the entire automobile industry."

He believes that California's regulations are forcing manufacturers across the country to undergo a forced transformation, as they cannot afford to do without the country's largest market.

According to him, the "horrible" Californian plan "would have put an end to the internal combustion engine, which most people have preferred so far."

"If you want electric, you can buy electric cars," he added, "but we must give you the choice."

The Pioneer West

The California legislature passed legislation in 2022 requiring all new vehicles sold in the state to be "zero-emission" polluting by 2035.

An ambition shared by a dozen other Democratic states, but contested by President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, who denounce what they consider to be a diktat for the entire United States.

California has the largest number of electric cars in the country and has benefited for more than half a century from exemptions that allow it to set stricter environmental standards than federal law.

The western US state has long pushed automakers to produce cars that meet its emission standards and sell them across the United States.

There was little doubt that the president would sign the resolution: the Republican billionaire, a notorious climate skeptic, campaigned in 2024 on his desire to drill for oil at will.

He also abandoned the goal set by his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden of selling 50% electric cars in the United States by 2030.

The American president also stated on Thursday at the White House that he could raise "in the near future" the surcharge he has put in place on cars imported into the United States, currently 25%.