California Lawmakers React to Trump Admin Cutting $4 Billion High Speed Rail Funds

Following the Trump Administration’s announcement on Wednesday that $4 billion in federal funds would be cut from California High-Speed Rail (CHSR), lawmakers from across the state reacted. After all, the $10.2 billion deficit CHSR needs to plug by June 2026 is now officially $14.2 billion. Delays and a total overall higher cost are now all but expected to happen again. The “no viable way forward” warning is now more real than ever. And the need for more private funding suddenly has become less of a stopgap and more of a lifeline.

CHSR just got yet another major blow. We know President Trump’s, and subsequently, the federal reaction. But let’s take a look at how both high speed rail supporters and detractors have been dealing with this major blow.

Supporters

Leading CHSR supporters is Governor Gavin Newsom, who since being elected in 2018, has been huge on high speed rail – despite promising to end the project. It’s become one of his “baby” projects. And with several of his other baby projects being shut down either because of a lack of funds or because the federal government stopped them, like the 2035 gas powered car sales ban mandate, Newsom has clung onto this one out of sheer desperation. Which kind of explains his furious reaction on Wednesday, going so far as to say that Trump’s decision is illegal and that they should just continue on because they already built some of the infrastructure needed.

“Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley,” said Newsom on Wednesday. “We won’t let him. With projects like the Texas high-speed rail failing to take off, we are miles ahead of others. We’re now in the track-laying phase and building America’s only high-speed rail. California is putting all options on the table to fight this illegal action.”

“Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today in response to the Trump administration illegally terminating federal grant agreements funding California high-speed rail,” his press release added. “This comes as the project enters the track laying phase, is actively building across 171 miles, has built more than 50 major railway structures – including bridges, overpasses, and viaducts – and completed over 60 miles of guideway.”

While Newsom should have done his homework on this one, as there are other High-Speed projects going on right now (including Brightline West, which is conveniently also mostly in California), many echoed his statement.

“Canceling these grants without cause isn’t just wrong — it’s illegal,” said California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri. “These are legally binding agreements, and the Authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as February 2025. America’s only high-speed rail project underway is fast approaching the track-laying phase, with 171 miles under active construction and design, 15,500 jobs created, and more than 50 major structures completed. This is no time for Washington to walk away on America’s transportation future.”

Detractors

The reaction on the other side was just as powerful, with many California lawmakers, including some Democrats, being happy with the cuts on Wednesday. Many pointed out that the cuts should signal to everyone that a conversation about ending CHSR is needed now more than ever and that either ending the program or handing it off to be privatized is what is needed right now. Lawmakers also pushed for CHSR funding to go towards other needed areas across the state instead.

“I applaud the U.S Department of Transportation for being the adult in the room and pulling the plug on the mismanaged high-speed rail project,” said long time CHSR opponent Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach). “The citizens of California did not vote for a bullet train from Merced to Bakersfield, and it’s time to accept reality, stop wasting our money, and have a serious conversation about directing funds to assist California families versus a pipe dream.”

“After 17 years and $14 billion spent, the high-speed fail has only managed to start construction from a field to an orchard,” added Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare). “Not a foot of track has been laid. The state needs to stop wasting taxpayers’ monies. The high-speed rail is not salvageable. The state has higher priorities like water infrastructure and wildfire prevention – lifesaving projects that can provide well-paying jobs for skilled workers in the Central Valley.”

“California High-Speed Rail is the worst public infrastructure disaster in U.S. history,” noted Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA). “A project that was supposed to be finished five years ago at a cost of $33 billion is now projected to take until the end of the century at a cost of $130 billion. I am grateful that President Trump and Secretary Duffy are sparing our taxpayers by cutting off federal funding. The state must now follow suit, wind this disastrous project down, and spend our transportation dollars where they are needed: our roads.”

The federal response outside of Trump has also been in support of ending the CHSR funding.

“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,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement. “It’s time for this boondoggle to die.”

However, both Duffy and Newsom also later got into a back and forth on X.

“Governor Newsom and California’s high speed rail boondoggle are the definition of government incompetence and possibly corruption,” said Duffy in an X post late on Wednesday. “The price tag has gone from $33B to $135B with no completion date in sight. We could give every single LA & SF resident almost 200 free flights for that much. That’s why TODAY we’re pulling the plug on federal funding for this train to nowhere. I won’t help Gavin Newsom waste your money!”

Newsom, still feeling the burn over this latest CHSR loss, responded later on.

“Won’t be taking advice from the guy who can’t keep planes in the sky,” retorted Newsom.