The federal government is pulling back support for California’s high-speed rail project, with President Trump declaring Tuesday that his administration will not cover any more costs for the troubled train line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“That train is the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen,” Trump said during a meeting in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “It’s, like, totally out of control. This government is not going to pay.”
His remarks follow a federal investigation launched three months ago into how California is spending a $3.1 billion grant awarded under President Biden. The audit is still ongoing.
Initially pitched as a $33 billion project to transport passengers between San Francisco and L.A. in under three hours by 2020, the train has faced ballooning costs, legal disputes over land, environmental review delays, and constant funding battles. The price tag has now tripled, the line has been shortened, and completion is projected for 2033—only for a Central Valley segment connecting two smaller cities.
Construction continues, and Governor Gavin Newsom recently visited Bakersfield to highlight progress.
“With 50 major structures built, walking away now as we enter the track-laying phase would be reckless — wasting billions already invested and letting job-killers cede a generational infrastructure advantage to China,” said Newsom’s spokesman, Izzy Gardon.
Newsom rode China’s high-speed rail in 2023 to showcase its potential, noting the train’s speed as it zipped toward Shanghai.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California Republican, renewed his call for an FBI investigation into the project’s financial management. “There is zero justification for any further funding, state or federal,” he said, urging that the money instead be used for road repairs, easing traffic, and strengthening local transit systems.
A spokesperson for the California High-Speed Rail Authority defended the project, citing the creation of 15,000 construction jobs and ongoing progress “despite the noise in Washington.”
Trump also ridiculed Governor Newsom, referring to him as “Gavin Newscum,” and claimed Newsom’s political prospects were collapsing due to the high-speed rail delays and recent wildfire devastation in Los Angeles.
Newsom’s office shot back, calling Trump “the self-described ‘King of Debt’ who ran a steak company, a casino, and a global economy — all into the ground.”
This isn’t their first clash over the rail project. During Trump’s previous term, his administration revoked nearly $1 billion in funding, citing skyrocketing costs. California sued and later recovered the money in a settlement with the Biden administration in 2021.
