Trump Administration cancels funding for California high-speed rail project

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) cancelled approximately $4 billion in unspent federal funds that were earmarked for the California, which he called a "boondoggle." In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOT) detailed that the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) had not yet installed a single high-speed rail, after 16 years and nearly $15 billion spent. Also, the agency commented that the total projected cost of such a project would be $135 billion.

"This is California’s fault. Governor Newsom and the complicit Democrats have enabled this waste for years. Federal dollars are not a blank check – they come with a promise to deliver results. After over a decade of failures, CHSRA’s mismanagement and incompetence has proven it cannot build its train to nowhere on time or on budget. It’s time for this boondoggle to die. President Trump and I will always fight to ensure your tax dollars only go to projects that accomplish great, big, beautiful things," Duffy stated.

Message from Trump

The decision by President Donald Trump's Administration followed a compliance review by the FRA, after whichCHSRA was given two opportunities to officially respond in accordance with the various grant treaties. DOT explained that neither response addressed the agency's concerns and detailed that FRA concluded that CHSRA could not meet its obligations under the agreement.

Following the decision announced by Duffy, Trump detailed on his Truth Social account that the project was not just a disaster, but a scam. "The decision follows FRA’s exhaustive compliance review, after which the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) was given two opportunities to respond consistent with the grant agreements. Neither response addressed FRA’s significant concerns. CHSRA simply cannot meet its obligations under the grant agreement. This boondoggle, led by the incompetent Governor of California, Gavin Newscum, has cost Taxpayers Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we have received NOTHING in return except Cost Overruns. The Railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will. This project was Severely Overpriced, Overregulated, and NEVER DELIVERED. Thanks to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, not a SINGLE penny in Federal Dollars will go towards this Newscum SCAM ever again. This was an ill-conceived and unnecessary project, and a total waste of Taxpayer money — But no more!," Trump tweeted.