Ah, Gavin Newsom, California’s self-styled hero of the resistance, is already gearing up to play Captain Green Energy against President-elect Donald Trump. With whispers of Trump planning to axe Biden’s $7,500 EV tax credit, Newsom is swooping in with his own California-sized promise: if Trump cuts the federal incentive, California will step in to save the day. Because nothing says “state leadership” like spending more taxpayer dollars on a subsidy for Teslas.
Newsom’s statement was heavy on the predictable buzzwords: “zero-emission vehicles are here to stay,” “clean air,” “green jobs.” He’s doubling down, he says, on making EVs affordable—because nothing says affordability like needing state intervention to prop up demand for a product. His solution? Reviving California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which conveniently ran out of money just last year. One can only guess where the funding for this “relaunch” will come from—another round of creative accounting, perhaps?
“Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong – zero-emission vehicles are here to stay,” Newsom stated.
“We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California. We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute,” he continued.
But this isn’t just about EVs. It’s part of Newsom’s broader preemptive strike against Trump’s incoming administration. He’s already called an “emergency” session to craft a legal response to what he calls “future attacks.” Let’s translate: more lawsuits, more headlines, and more grandstanding. After all, Newsom filed over 100 lawsuits during Trump’s first term, and it looks like he’s determined to break his own record this time around.
Turns out Newsom’s proposed EV tax credit is actually just about targeting Tesla. Pathetic. https://t.co/BG2YyUUoTP
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) November 25, 2024
Here’s the kicker: while Newsom plays eco-warrior, California’s energy policies have already left residents grappling with sky-high electricity bills and rolling blackouts. His relentless push for renewables and electric vehicles sounds noble on paper but translates into hefty costs for everyday Californians. And now, with a potential state-funded EV rebate, taxpayers could end up footing the bill for yet another Newsom green pet project.
Meanwhile, Trump’s plans to eliminate the EV tax credit aren’t a declaration of war on the environment—they’re a push for common sense. The EV market, led by multi-billion-dollar corporations, doesn’t need handouts from Washington (or Sacramento). If the vehicles are as revolutionary as their advocates claim, consumers will buy them without needing a government nudge.
Gavin Newsom says that if Trump removes the $7,500 EV tax credit, California will reboot its own state tax credit program.
The kicker? Tesla would be excluded.
Excluding the largest EV company in the world out of political spite seems sort of petty for a 57 year old man, no? pic.twitter.com/bWfvSLcGFN
— Stock Talk (@stocktalkweekly) November 25, 2024
Ultimately, Newsom’s preemptive posturing isn’t about protecting Californians or the planet—it’s about signaling his ongoing resistance to Trump. It’s theater, plain and simple, and California residents are stuck footing the bill for his one-man show.
