Donald Trump says US won’t fund California high-speed rail amid soaring costs and project delays

President Donald Trump has declared that his administration “is not going to pay” for California’s embattled high-speed rail project, intensifying scrutiny of a scheme that has spiralled in cost and suffered major delays since voters first approved it in 2008.

Trump reignites funding row over California high-speed rail

“That train is the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “It’s, like, totally out of control.”

The president’s remarks follow a federal audit, launched three months ago, into how the state is using a $3.1 billion grant awarded under the Biden administration. The review remains ongoing.

Originally pitched as a $33 billion line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco by 2020, the project is now expected to complete its first segment—linking two smaller Central Valley cities—by 2033. The estimated cost has more than tripled, plagued by inflation, lawsuits, environmental hurdles, and political infighting.

Governor Gavin Newsom has continued to defend the project. “With 50 major structures built, walking away now as we enter the track-laying phase would be reckless — wasting billions already invested,” said spokesman Izzy Gardon, arguing it would let “job-killers cede a generational infrastructure advantage to China.”

Newsom has pointed to China’s success in high-speed rail, riding its network during a 2023 visit. But Trump mocked the governor, calling him “Gavin Newscum” and claiming his political prospects were doomed by both the train delays and wildfire devastation in Los Angeles.

Republican Representative Kevin Kiley, a long-time critic, renewed calls for the FBI to investigate. “There is zero justification for any further funding, state or federal,” he said, suggesting funds should instead support local road and transit projects.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority, however, defended its progress, noting the creation of 15,000 construction jobs and arguing the project is “delivering results, despite the noise in Washington.”

Tensions over the project are not new. Trump previously revoked $1 billion in federal funding during his first term—a decision reversed through a legal settlement under President Biden in 2021.