"This decision had no basis in fact, none whatsoever, and no basis in law," Trump said on Thursday evening, local time in Sweden.
The ruling, from 2009, states that six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a danger to public health by driving climate change.
Initially, the ruling only applied to vehicle emissions, but later became the legal basis for a broader set of climate regulations.
Wider impact
Trump announced Thursday that his government, as a result of the decision, is eliminating greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles.
But the repeal could have further consequences and jeopardize a range of climate regulations, including limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and methane emissions from oil and gas operations.
Manish Bapna, president of the environmental organization Natural Resources Defense Council, told AFP that the Trump administration's decision represents "the largest attack ever on federal efforts to tackle the climate crisis."
Obama: Less healthy
California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that "This decision is a betrayal of the American people and establishes the Republican Party’s status as a polluter."
Former President Barack Obama wrote on X that the decision will make Americans "less safe, less healthy, and less able to fight climate change - all so that the fossil fuel industry can make even bigger profits."
However, Trump claims that public health will not be harmed:
Don't worry about it. It has nothing to do with public health; this whole thing was a hoax, a big hoax.
