Trump official reveals hope to 'bring back the 1970s station wagon' with 'wood paneling'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy bragged that President Donald Trump's rollback of automotive fuel efficiency standards could "bring back the 1970s station wagon."

In a Thursday interview, Duffy told CNBC's Phil LeBeau that ending the Biden-era rules would save major car companies billions.

"The cynic will look at this and say, yes, the automakers will save about $109 billion," LeBeau noted. "And that's fantastic for the automakers. It comes out to about $1,000 per car; theoretically, that should be saved for consumers."

"Do you honestly believe that the auto industry will lower their prices?" he asked.

"Listen, the auto industry is very competitive, right?" Duffy replied. "And by the way, if we bring prices down and we get newer cars on American roads, newer cars are way safer."

"If you're building a car, developing a car that Joe Biden or Pete Buttigieg wanted you to build, that's different than market demand," he continued. "This rule will actually allow you to bring back the 1970s station wagon. Maybe a little wood paneling on the side, Phil."