Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is excoriating President Trump for stripping California of its ability to determine its own vehicle regulations for greenhouse gas emissions, preempting the state's Clean Air Act.
The waiver was introduced by conservative icon Ronald Reagan, Schwarzenegger reminded Trump in his statement about the "fake-conservative policy announcement." He suggested states rights conservatives are hypocrites for approving the plan.
My statement on today’s stupid, fake-conservative policy announcement that no one asked for. pic.twitter.com/ojAhWTFpDM
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) August 2, 2018
The "Terminator" actor is also frustrated by Trump's rolling back emissions standards President Obama set in 2012 to take effect for cars built from 2021 and 2026. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation decided those standards were unreasonable for economic and safety reasons and will freeze the standards at the 2020 level.
“We are delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American public that his administration would address and fix the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards,” said EPA acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler in a statement Thursday. “Our proposal aims to strike the right regulatory balance based on the most recent information and create a 50-state solution that will enable more Americans to afford newer, safer vehicles that pollute less.”
Schwarzenegger has been environmentally active for years. "Clean energy" seemed to be a top priority when he was governor of California. In 2010, he launched the R20 climate network, described as "an alliance of regional leaders who have pledged to work together to fight climate change." CNBC suggested he was "saving the environment" by promoting the use of all-electric cars. At a United Nations climate conference last year, Schwarzenegger urged citizens to "wake up" to the threat of pollution.
It goes without saying what he thought of Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
"One man cannot destroy our progress, one man can't stop our clean energy revolution, one man can't go back in time," Schwarzenegger said in his blunt message.