President Donald Trump delivered a seismic blow to climate regulations Friday, nullifying the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding that underpinned decades of environmental mandates. This pivotal Obama administration declaration classified key greenhouse gases as human health hazards, justifying rules on auto emissions and incentives for electric vehicle adoption.
Flanked by EPA head Lee Zeldin at the White House, Trump branded the repeal ‘history’s biggest deregulatory feat.’ He lambasted the policy for hamstringing American automakers and inflating vehicle costs, burdens he vowed to lift.
The original finding targeted carbon dioxide, methane, and others, enabling federal oversight of tailpipe emissions and fossil fuel disclosures. Trump countered that such measures ignored fossil fuels’ indispensable contributions to global prosperity and survival.
‘Bad policy from the Obama days hurt our workers and families,’ Trump declared, framing the move as essential economic relief. Supporters in manufacturing heartlands cheered, seeing it as a lifeline for traditional energy sectors.
Opposition poured in immediately. Barack Obama took to X, decrying the repeal as a giveaway to polluters that weakens defenses against vehicle and plant emissions. ‘This makes fighting climate change harder and leaves us all less healthy,’ he stated.
As the dust settles, implications ripple across policy arenas. Expect EV subsidies to wane and emission caps to loosen, fueling a potential boom in gas-powered vehicles. Legal experts anticipate lawsuits from green advocates, testing the bounds of executive power. Trump’s gamble highlights deepening national divides on energy, environment, and governance.