White House Says Trump Will Revoke Climate Finding Underpinning Auto Emissions Rules

The move would reshape U.S. vehicle and environmental policy by eliminating federal greenhouse gas standards for automakers.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The White House announced that President Donald Trump plans to formally overturn a key Obama-era climate finding this week, a move that would dismantle the legal foundation for federal vehicle emissions rules. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will appear alongside EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday to rescind the 2009 determination that carbon dioxide poses a threat to public health, which has long served as the basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from cars, trucks and other sources.

Why it matters

This action would mark one of the most sweeping regulatory rollbacks of the Trump administration, effectively undoing vehicle emissions standards finalized under former President Joe Biden in 2024 that aimed to cut fleetwide tailpipe emissions nearly in half by 2032. The move would eliminate federal requirements for automakers to measure, report and comply with greenhouse gas standards, significantly reshaping U.S. climate and transportation policy.

The details

Leavitt described the action as the largest deregulatory step in U.S. history and said it would lower costs for automakers by about $2,400 per vehicle. The administration first proposed the repeal last July as part of a broader effort to scale back climate rules, boost fossil fuel development and slow the transition to clean energy. An EPA spokesperson said previous Democratic administrations relied on the finding to justify trillions of dollars in greenhouse gas regulations, particularly in the transportation sector.

  • Trump will appear alongside EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday to rescind the 2009 climate determination.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who plans to formally overturn the key Obama-era climate finding.

Karoline Leavitt

The White House press secretary who announced Trump's plans to revoke the climate finding.

Lee Zeldin

The current Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency who will appear alongside Trump to rescind the 2009 climate determination.

Joe Biden

The former President of the United States who finalized vehicle emissions standards in 2024 that aimed to cut fleetwide tailpipe emissions nearly in half by 2032.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

This move by the Trump administration would mark a major reversal in U.S. climate and transportation policy, eliminating federal greenhouse gas standards for automakers and potentially slowing the transition to clean energy and electric vehicles.