Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday that California will sue President Donald Trump over a Senate vote to revoke three of the state’s controversial emissions waivers. These waivers, granted during the Biden administration, allowed California to enforce stricter emissions regulations than federal law and push a zero-emission vehicle mandate by 2035.

The Senate vote, 51–44, was a major win for the Trump administration’s effort to rein in overreaching environmental policies. It seeks to nullify rules that impose expensive tailpipe emissions restrictions and smog standards on trucks, along with the sweeping electric vehicle mandate. Critics argue these policies raise costs, reduce consumer choice, and threaten energy independence.

Now, California is turning to the courts to restore its power—and potentially force other states to follow its lead.

“The weaponization of the Congressional Review Act to attack California’s waivers is just another part of the continuous, partisan campaign against California’s efforts to protect the public and the planet,” Bonta complained. He vowed to sue, insisting the state would “not stand idly by.”

Newsom, for his part, accused Senate Republicans of violating precedent and “making America smoggy again,” claiming they are “ceding our economic future to China.”

What Newsom didn’t mention is how this battle goes far beyond California. The state’s massive economy and partnerships with other blue states mean that when it sets extreme regulations, those rules often affect automakers—and by extension, consumers—across the country.

That’s why Trump and congressional Republicans are trying to stop this in its tracks. The Clean Air Act historically gave California special authority to create tougher emissions rules than the federal standard. But Trump’s allies in the Senate say that the Congressional Review Act gives them the power to reverse overreaching federal agency actions—like the Biden EPA’s decision to greenlight California’s latest demands.

Under President Trump’s energy plan, red tape is being slashed and the government is prioritizing American energy independence over green activism. His administration argues that California’s rules are unworkable, unfair, and unconstitutional.

Newsom has already filed 22 lawsuits against Trump since January, tapping into a $50 million war chest of taxpayer funds to bankroll California’s endless legal warfare. He’s using the courts not just to fight for his state, but to try to dictate environmental policy for all 50 states.

This latest lawsuit is yet another example of blue-state leaders weaponizing environmentalism to push a national agenda—without the consent of Congress or voters outside their bubble.

Trump’s supporters see the lawsuit as a desperate move by a fading governor clinging to political relevance. “They’ll spend millions to force Americans to buy electric cars, but won’t clean up their own cities,” one conservative strategist told Blaze Media.

Even moderate Democrats are starting to bristle at the costs of California’s green mandates. Polls show Americans want cleaner air, but not at the expense of jobs, gas-powered cars, and basic economic freedom.

The stakes are high: if California wins in court, its radical climate policies could become the de facto national standard—whether other states like it or not. That’s why this fight is bigger than one state’s ambition.

The Trump administration’s move to revoke the waivers is not just about rolling back Biden-era overreach. It’s about restoring balance and stopping the environmental left from dictating policy for every American family. And with the courts now stepping in, the next round of this battle could determine the future of emissions standards nationwide.