Trump cuts funding for California rail, escalating feud with Newsom
3 Min Read
Trump has terminated federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project, intensifying his ongoing political feud with Governor Gavin Newsom over infrastructure, immigration, and state authority.
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A Brightline train is shown at a station in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 11, 2018 (AP)
US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration would terminate federal funding for California's high-speed rail project, intensifying a long-standing political feud with Governor Gavin Newsom. Declaring the infrastructure effort fiscally irresponsible, Trump labeled the project an "ill-conceived and unnecessary" undertaking and portrayed the move as a triumph for American taxpayers.
"To the Law abiding, Tax paying, Hardworking Citizens of the United States of America, I am thrilled to announce that I have officially freed you from funding California's disastrously overpriced, ‘HIGH SPEED TRAIN TO NOWHERE,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. He blamed the delays and ballooning costs on "incompetent" leadership, calling the initiative a "boondoggle" under Newsom's oversight.
The Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Sean Duffy, endorsed the decision, with Trump vowing that "the federal government will no longer allocate a single penny to this project."
Governor Newsom swiftly condemned the move, describing it as a "gift to China" and accusing Trump of deliberately abandoning California's Central Valley. "We will use every legal tool at our disposal to fight this decision," Newsom said, signaling a likely court battle.
Feud Deepens
The withdrawal of funding marks the latest escalation in a broader power struggle between Trump and Newsom that has spanned multiple fronts, including immigration, environmental policy, and disaster response. Just last month, Newsom filed a lawsuit against the federal government after Trump deployed National Guard units in Los Angeles without state approval to support immigration raids, an unprecedented act that reignited the debate over state sovereignty and federal overreach.
The high-speed rail project, originally approved by voters in 2008 during Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's tenure, envisioned a link between San Francisco and Los Angeles at a cost of $33 billion. Since then, the budget has ballooned to an estimated $100–128 billion, and completion timelines have repeatedly slipped. The state has since scaled down its ambitions to a 192-kilometer segment between Merced and Bakersfield in the Central Valley. Under President Obama, the federal government contributed around $4 billion, about a quarter of the segment's cost.
Rails Resistance
California officials argue that the project is already well underway, pointing to the completion of over 50 major structures including viaducts, bridges, and overpasses. They maintain that the state has met its contractual obligations and that Washington's funding withdrawal is not only punitive but also unlawful.
Even as federal support evaporates, California remains determined to push forward. A major source of ongoing funding is the state's cap-and-trade program, which directs nearly $1 billion annually from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Newsom has proposed extending the program through 2045, though the necessary legislation remains pending.
Read more: California's Governor Newsom filing defamation suit against Fox
The fight over the rail project is emblematic of the deeper political rivalry between Trump and Newsom, two figures who have increasingly used each other as foils in the national spotlight. While Trump continues to target California as a symbol of progressive failure, Newsom has positioned the state as a bulwark against Trumpism, fueling speculation about a future presidential bid.
