President Trump announced Saturday that he has approved new fuel economy standards, effectively eliminating the electric vehicle (EV) mandate introduced under the Biden administration. Because nothing says "big day" like rolling back pollution rules six weeks before an election.

The 2024 EV mandate was designed to push automakers from gas-powered to electric vehicles by setting pollution standards for vehicle fleets that were intentionally difficult to meet without introducing new electric or low-carbon models. Trump celebrated the move in a Truth Social post, declaring it a "BIG DAY FOR AMERICAN AUTO WORKERS AND CAR BUYERS!" - presumably in all caps because lowercase letters are for people who don't understand the stakes of fuel economy.

"These new Standards will take the waste out of building cars in America," the president wrote. "That means LOWER PRICES, saving families thousands on a new, beautiful, and safe car - Far better than the Environmental Monsters that we were building heretofore." Yes, "Environmental Monsters" - the terrifying beasts known for their annoying habit of not poisoning the air.

Trump added that "Every Manufacturer, from General Motors to Ford to Stellantis, has called me wanting to build here, and now they can!" One imagines the phone lines at GM, Ford, and Stellantis were indeed ringing off the hook, though perhaps not for the reasons stated.

The announcement comes less than six weeks ahead of the midterm elections, in which Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress amid voter concerns about rising fuel prices - and other living costs - under the Trump administration. Because nothing wins over voters like telling them their gas will get cheaper while the air gets dirtier.

The Sierra Club criticized the decision to roll back these requirements, arguing it will make transportation more expensive for Americans. Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club's "Clean Transportation for All" campaign, vowed to "fight this senseless rollback every step of the way" in a Saturday statement.

"Families already cannot afford the basics, and now Donald Trump wants to make driving more expensive too," García said. "Less fuel-efficient cars mean more gas burned, spending more at the pump, and dirtier air in our communities. Americans need relief from high costs, but instead Trump is giving automakers a free pass on pollution and handing families the bill - at the pump and with their health."

Former Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also slammed the decision, writing on social media that "U.S. manufacturing jobs are down under Trump, including in the auto industry. His strategy failed, and so will this. Lowering standards will accelerate what he has already been doing: handing the clean tech future to China and forcing Americans to pay more at the pump."

So to recap: Trump says he ended an EV mandate that never technically existed as a mandate, in order to save Americans money on cars that will burn more gas, just in time for elections where high gas prices are a top concern. The logic is flawless if you don't think about it for more than three seconds.