Trump Admin Tells California To Kiss Federal Cash For High-Speed Rail Boondoggle Goodbye
The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it stripped approximately $4 billion in unspent federal funds from California’s high-speed rail project following years of widespread criticism over the long-delayed…
The Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it stripped approximately $4 billion in unspent federal funds from California’s high-speed rail project following years of widespread criticism over the long-delayed effort.
President Donald Trump’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it won’t pour taxpayer money into the state’s project aimed at connecting major cities by bullet train after 16 years and “not one high-speed track” laid down.
“This is California’s fault. Governor Newsom and the complicit Democrats have enabled this waste for years,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a prepared statement. “Federal dollars are not a blank check — they come with a promise to deliver results.”
California state auditors and even Newsom called the rail plan too costly over the years, though Newsom quickly denounced the Trump administration’s decision Wednesday.
“Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley. We won’t let him … California is putting all options on the table to fight this illegal action.” Newsom said in a statement.
“Canceling these grants without cause isn’t just wrong — it’s illegal,” Ian Choudri, CEO of the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), said in a prepared statement. “These are legally binding agreements, and the Authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as February 2025.”