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# The party of making things worse
- URL: https://birchtree.me/blog/the-party-of-making-things-worse/
- Published: 2026-10-04T17:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-04T16:59:59.000Z
- Author: Matt Birchler
- Tags: Links

Justine Calma: [Trump finalizes rule to make cars less fuel efficient](https://www.theverge.com/news/1001610/trump-weakens-fuel-efficiency-standards?ref=birchtree.me)

> The US Department of Transportation finalized its plans today to weaken fuel efficiency standards, calling it “among the largest deregulatory actions under the second Trump Administration.”

I just think there's something wild about Republicans in the US constantly advocating for things to get objectively worse. You want cheaper, cleaner energy? Nah, let's boost dirty, expensive energy production! You want better gas milage in your car? Nah, let's make sure car makers can make it worse. The vast majority of people want more restrictions on data centers? Nope, how about we make it easier for them to be built where people don't want them and also ensure they can be as dirty as possible.