CNN reports, former President Obama tweeted a rare criticism of President Trump on Tuesday over the current administration’s rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions standards.
The Trump administration Tuesday announced it’s rolling back Obama’s over regulated signature fuel standards aimed at combating the climate crisis.
“We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic. We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall,” Obama wrote in a tweet.
We've seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic. We can't afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall. https://t.co/K8Ucu7iVDK
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 31, 2020
According to CNN, the comment is notable as the former President seldom publicly criticizes his successor.
Trump is no fan of Obama’s environmental and climate policies. Three years ago, Obama similarly lamented President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the landmark Paris climate agreement, saying the move adds the administration to “a small handful of nations that reject the future.”
Earlier Tuesday, the Trump administration, which has already nixed a number of Obama-era environmental protections, announced it is replacing fuel standards rolled out in 2012 with a plan that calls for substantially lower annual increases.
The finalized rule, prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation, calls for fuel economy and emission standards to increase by 1.5% annually, rather than the approximately 5% increases in the 2012 rule. According to the rule, the standards will increase to 40.4 miles per gallon by vehicle model year 2026, about six miles per gallon fewer than the 2012 rule.
The Trump administration said it was performing what it called “the largest deregulatory initiative of this administration.” The change “reflects the realities of today’s markets,” the administration said.
“This rule reflects the Department’s No. 1 priority — safety — by making newer, safer, cleaner vehicles more accessible for Americans who are, on average, driving 12-year-old cars. By making newer, safer, and cleaner vehicles more accessible for American families, more lives will be saved and more jobs will be created,” Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said in a statement announcing the rule.