President Donald Trump has unexpectedly shifted his stance on electric vehicles after initially backing away from implementing stricter emissions standards, citing a conciliatory tone with fellow billionaire Elon Musk. In a recent phone call with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, Trump stated that he was “amazed” by Musk’s endorsement of him despite their long-standing differences over the environment.
Trump had previously proposed abolishing California’s vehicle emissions standards, which would have banned the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and mandated zero-emission trucks. The announcement sparked a backlash from Governor Gavin Newsom, who vowed to challenge the federal government’s rollback in court.
Musk has since fired back at Trump on Twitter, accusing him of trying to undermine his company with the EV mandate policy. Musk stated that without his involvement, Trump would have lost the 2020 presidential election and the Democrats would have controlled the House and Senate. The remarks marked a high point in their ongoing feud, which began after Trump’s impeachment call.
Despite their differences, both leaders seem to be adopting more conciliatory stances towards each other, with Musk earlier stating that as long as the EV mandate policy applies to “everybody,” he will be able to compete.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/06/12/trump-musk-tesla-ev-endorsement