President Trump used a Wednesday briefing to outline a three-part agenda: roll back Biden-era vehicle fuel standards to favor gasoline cars, intensify enforcement actions aimed at Somali immigrants in Minnesota, and defend recent U.S. strikes on vessels the administration says carried illicit drugs.
On fuel policy, Trump announced: “We are returning CAFE standards to levels that can actually be met with conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles. The Biden standards broke the law.” He framed the proposal as “restoring consumer choice and protecting jobs in the domestic auto industry.” The new plan would reduce mileage targets and shift the emphasis away from electric vehicles, a move automakers welcomed, though environmental groups warned that it would increase pollution.
Trump’s remarks about the Somali community in Minnesota were the most politically combustible. According to reporting, Trump said:
“I don’t want them in our country… I don’t care if that is not politically correct.”
In a posted statement he claimed:
“Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
He also branded one of the community’s elected representatives as “garbage,” saying:
“Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage. … We could go one way or the other, and we’re going the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country.”
The fierce language, tied to an announcement that the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for some Somali immigrants would be terminated “effective immediately,” has drawn condemnation from Minnesota officials. Mayor Jacob Frey said, “To our Somali community, we love you, and we stand with you.”
On national security and counternarcotics operations, Trump defended strikes the Pentagon says targeted suspected drug-trafficking vessels. According to a White House statement:
“Any boat bringing deadly poison to our shores has the potential to kill 25,000 Americans or more. The President is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding in to our country and to bring those responsible for justice.”
Reports note that administration officials described the objective as destroying vessels used by narco-terrorists, rather than merely arrests.
The trio of announcements ties into a broader Trump agenda: rollbacks of environmental regulations, an aggressive immigration posture focused on particular communities, and an assertive operational approach to drug interdiction. Each item is likely to face legal and political challenges — from potential lawsuits and state resistance to vehicle rules, to civil rights complaints and local noncooperation in Minnesota, to oversight questions from Congress and watchdogs about ship strikes.
For now, the White House is pressing forward with policy changes and enforcement actions it says will protect American jobs, borders, and public safety.
All sources and links
- New York Post
- People.com
- AP News
- WPBN
- Reuters
- PBS
- CBS News
- Vox
- The Guardian
- The White House
- Al Jazeera
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