In a revealing hot mic slip during his January 13, 2026, tour of Ford's Dearborn plant, President Donald Trump exposed the raw frustrations simmering in Detroit's boardrooms. Chatting with workers about F-150 trucks, Trump casually remarked that Ford Chairman Bill Ford "calls me all the time, 'Can we get rid of this environmental piece of garbage?'" The gaffe, quickly going viral, pulls back the curtain on how auto executives truly view the Democrats' aggressive climate policies—far from the polished press releases touting sustainability.
For years, the Biden-era mandates pushed electric vehicles (EVs) as the holy grail, with California's zero-emission rules leading the charge. But behind closed doors, industry titans like Ford, GM, and Stellantis have chafed under the weight. Sources reveal execs griped about "extraordinary and unnecessary" costs, as Canadian automakers warned Prime Minister Carney in late 2025. The EV transition, they argue, ignores market realities: sluggish sales, charging infrastructure woes, and job losses in traditional manufacturing. Trump's ally, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, echoed this in December 2025, unveiling the "Freedom Means Affordable Cars" initiative to roll back fuel economy standards, freeing companies from what Republicans call a "radical rush-to-green."
Critics say these policies were "Democrats' crazy climate stuff"—overreaching regs that inflated prices and stifled innovation. Ford's alleged pleas to Trump highlight a broader backlash: Senate votes in May 2025 killed California's EV mandate, with even Democrats like Michigan's Elissa Slotkin joining Republicans. As Trump resets the agenda, auto execs are breathing easier, prioritizing profits over planet-saving piety. But environmentalists warn: ditching these "pieces of garbage" could accelerate climate chaos. In Detroit, though, the vibe is clear—gas guzzlers are back, baby.