When President Joe Biden traveled to Michigan in September to walk the picket line with striking auto workers, he was praised for making a “powerful” gesture in support of the United Auto Workers (UAW) bid for higher pay.

By putting his presidential thumb on the scale, Biden might have helped tilt negotiations in favor of the UAW. At the same time, he seems to have inadvertently undermined one of his administration’s big climate policy goals.

Ford and General Motors (G.M.), two of the three automakers that reached a deal with the UAW last month to end the strike, have announced plans this week to scale back future investments in electric vehicle (E.V.) production. Both companies have cited the higher labor costs created by the new union contract as a motivating factor for cutting costs, and E.V. production lines seem to be some of the top targets—perhaps not a surprise, given lackluster E.V. sales.