Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the Port of Long Beach where he was flanked by truck drivers as he made the case that California is the “petri dish of leftism” in the country, with “electric mandates for big rigs” serving as an example of that.
The Republican presidential candidate argued against the state’s “diesel truck mandate” for electric vehicles, which he expects to be rolled out nationally. He vowed to “take action as President” against these rules in places like Long Beach where electric vehicle mandates are required.
“If you look at big rigs, this is not something that’s designed to be an electric vehicle,” the Governor said. “All of that EV is going to make all of these trucks more expensive.”
He mocked the “radius of about 100 miles on a single charge” for these vehicles, predicting that the mandate would “interrupt the supply chain.”
The Governor discussed Florida’s own commitment to truck driving, training 3,500 new truck drivers a year in the state.
“We need to make sure that this is a vibrant industry going forward,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis drew contrasts between Florida and California, noting that in the competition between the states’ ports, truck drivers are key.
The Governor also addressed issues like the high costs of groceries and cars, connecting them to “people imposing policies in Washington that leave you to pay the bill,” a pattern that started during the “COVID lockdowns of 2020.”
He promised to “restore the American dream” if elected President, with policies making the country “energy dominant” central to that quest, proposals he introduced earlier this month in Texas.
“Energy dominance will make this country more secure,” DeSantis said. He added that reversing “mandates” for electric vehicles is key.
“The things that go into making these come from Communist China,” DeSantis said, noting that issues beyond “emissions” matter, and spotlighting Chinese use of coal plants to “power their electric grids.”
“The people that are imposing these mandates aren’t honest about the true costs,” DeSantis argued.
Noting California’s own “rolling blackouts,” he predicted that EVs would have a “huge, huge problem” in situations where electricity was out. He stressed his own experience in power restoration to argue for “reliable energy” nationwide.
He also made the case for natural gas as a more reliable form of electricity, not just domestically but also in the “developing world.”
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