Trump Pulls Rail Funding For California, Newsom Vows To Keep Laying Track

The long-running feud betwixt President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a caller battleground: high-speed rail. On Wednesday, July 16, Trump took to Truth Social to slam nan Golden State’s obstruction project, nan politician and what he insists is simply a discarded of payer dollars. 

The obstruction statement is planned to tally done nan Central Valley, yet connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Federal grants, totaling astir $4 billion, were approved during nan Obama and Biden administrations, making love backmost to 2009. But successful a missive sent successful June, nan U.S. Department of Transportation informed California that nan Federal Railroad Administration was terminating nan backing agreement.

The DOT cited missed deadlines, fund shortfalls and incorrect estimates of expected ridership. According to Politico, nan task costs has now ballooned to $128 cardinal — up from an original estimate of $33 billion.

Trump blasts obstruction project 

In his station connected Truth Social, Trump wrote:

“I americium thrilled to denote that I person officially freed you from backing California’s disastrously overpriced, ‘HIGH SPEED TRAIN TO NOWHERE.’ This boondoggle, led by nan incompetent Governor of California, Gavin Newscum, has costs Taxpayers Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we person received NOTHING successful return isolated from Cost Overruns. The Railroad we were promised still does not exist, and ne'er will.”

Newsom was speedy to respond, accusing nan Trump management of  “illegally” canceling nan funding. 

Newsom said nan task is entering nan track-laying phase, spanning much than 170 miles pinch nan building of astatine slightest 50 obstruction structures, including bridges and viaducts. He added that ridership is expected to statesman sometime betwixt 2030 and 2033.

In a sharply worded statement, Newsom wrote:

“Trump wants to manus China nan early and wantonness nan Central Valley. We won’t fto him. With projects for illustration nan Texas high-speed obstruction failing to return off, we are miles up of others … and building America’s only high-speed rail. California is putting each options connected nan array to conflict this forbidden action.” 

Newsom added that high-speed obstruction is simply a cardinal portion of his schedule for occupation creation and infrastructure finance successful California. 

A history of clashes

This is nan latest flashpoint successful a turbulent relationship betwixt Trump and Newsom.

Last month, Trump deployed hundreds of California National Guard members and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles during protests complete migration enforcement. Newsom challenged nan move successful court, but a national appeals tribunal sided pinch nan president, allowing nan deployment to continue. On Tuesday, July 15, Trump released astir 2,000 National Guard members whom he had antecedently deployed.

Earlier this month, Newsom visited South Carolina, an early 2028 statesmanlike superior state, to rally Democrats up of nan 2026 midterms — sparking speculation that he’s eyeing a 2028 statesmanlike run.