Former President Donald Trump’s campaign recently promised to undo the regulatory efforts of the Biden administration aimed at promoting electric vehicle adoption over the coming years. Trump has been highly critical of the current administration’s recently finalized regulations that target the traditional internal combustion engine.
The Trump campaign gave a statement to Fox News Digital explaining its stance on the newest climate regulations from the Biden administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the GOP frontrunner’s campaign, the rules would coerce American drivers to buy expensive electric vehicles and reduce their consumer choice, infringing on the free market.
Furthermore, the campaign’s press secretary claimed the harsh regulation is “destroying” the American auto industry, an essential piece of the domestic economy. However, the campaign promised that, if reelected in the upcoming 2024 election, Trump would undo the regulatory initiatives toward gas-powered automobiles
“Joe Biden’s extreme electric vehicle mandate will force Americans to buy ultra-expensive cars they do not want and cannot afford while destroying the U.S. auto industry in the process,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This radical policy is anti-jobs, anti-consumer and anti-American.”
The statement further claims that, aside from hypothetically leading to significant job losses, the regulations could lead to a dependence on China, where a large amount of activity in the EV industry is based. “It will destroy the livelihoods of countless U.S. autoworkers while sending the U.S. auto industry to China. President Trump will reverse Joe Biden’s extreme electric vehicle mandate on Day One,” the statement continued.
The American Tribune reported on the new EV regulations, which were pending finalization at the time of the article, and the substantial pushback they had received from conservatives. At the time of the proposal, slated to go into effect in 2027, the Biden administration projected that 67% of the new sedan, crossover, SUV, and light truck purchases would be electric by 2032. Moreover, up to half of all bus and garbage truck, 35% of short-haul freight tractor, and nearly a quarter of all long-haul freight tractor purchases could be electric in the same time frame.
“It certainly won’t do anything to improve human health. It won’t do anything to reduce pollution,” said American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac. “We’ve proven in this country that we’re already a world leader in clean air. All it’s going to continue to do is push the costs of electric vehicles on to purchasers of internal combustion engine vehicles.”
“This is purely being done for campaign reasons — to really appease the leftist large donor base that are the climate alarmists that are driving this movement towards really what is a forced energy transition, which is just increasing the cost of everything,” the Isaac added.
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) recently criticized President Biden over his climate-related initiatives and their subsequent impact on American consumers. “President Biden has made his intentions clear. He would rather force American families — who are already facing financial hardship under the weight of inflation spurred by trillions in wasteful government spending — to buy electric vehicles to advance his Green New Deal agenda than allow folks to choose the best car or truck for their families, businesses, and farms at an affordable price.”
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