In a move that underscores his commitment to fiscal responsibility, President Donald Trump announced this week that California’s troubled high-speed rail project will no longer receive any federal funding. Standing alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, Trump made clear that taxpayers would not be on the hook for what he called “the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen.”
The California High-Speed Rail system, once pitched to voters as a $33 billion project to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles by 2028, has spiraled into a financial disaster, now carrying a price tag north of $135 billion with no real end in sight. According to recent estimates, the project still needs more than $100 billion to be completed. Meanwhile, the state is out of bond money and scrambling to attract private investors to cover a $7–11 billion shortfall.
President Trump’s decision to halt federal funds signals a strong stand against government waste. “We’re not going to pay for that thing,” Trump said, referring to the bloated rail project. “It’s totally out of control.”
The President also took aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom, suggesting that the ongoing failures of the high-speed rail and the state’s mismanagement of other crises (like wildfires) would make Newsom unelectable in any future presidential bid.
The move to block further funding comes as the Trump administration continues its investigation into how previous federal money was used by California’s High-Speed Rail Authority. With $4 billion still under review, and no further support on the way, the state’s ambitions for a futuristic rail line now hinge on uncertain private backing.
While Newsom’s office fired back with political jabs, Californians are left facing the reality of a decades-long project that has burned through billions with little to show.
President Trump’s stance is a firm reminder: when government promises big but delivers little, accountability must follow and the American taxpayer deserves better.
The California High-Speed Rail system, once pitched to voters as a $33 billion project to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles by 2028, has spiraled into a financial disaster, now carrying a price tag north of $135 billion with no real end in sight. According to recent estimates, the project still needs more than $100 billion to be completed. Meanwhile, the state is out of bond money and scrambling to attract private investors to cover a $7–11 billion shortfall.
President Trump’s decision to halt federal funds signals a strong stand against government waste. “We’re not going to pay for that thing,” Trump said, referring to the bloated rail project. “It’s totally out of control.”
The President also took aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom, suggesting that the ongoing failures of the high-speed rail and the state’s mismanagement of other crises (like wildfires) would make Newsom unelectable in any future presidential bid.
The move to block further funding comes as the Trump administration continues its investigation into how previous federal money was used by California’s High-Speed Rail Authority. With $4 billion still under review, and no further support on the way, the state’s ambitions for a futuristic rail line now hinge on uncertain private backing.
While Newsom’s office fired back with political jabs, Californians are left facing the reality of a decades-long project that has burned through billions with little to show.
President Trump’s stance is a firm reminder: when government promises big but delivers little, accountability must follow and the American taxpayer deserves better.
