US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are greeted by California Governor Gavin Newsom upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, on January 24, 2025, to visit the region devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Washington D.C. – President Donald Trump took fresh aim at California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday, mocking the governor’s handling of the state’s high-speed rail project and daring him to enter the 2024 presidential race. “I would love him to run for president,” Trump said at a White House event with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “But I don’t think he’s going to be running because that one project alone — well, that, and the fires and a lot of other things — pretty much put him out of the race.”
Trump’s renewed criticism of the embattled rail project came hours after Newsom publicly called for the federal government to partner with California to bolster the nation’s struggling film industry. Instead, Trump doubled down on mocking Newsom’s signature infrastructure effort — a high-speed train intended to connect Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area that has become notorious for delays and skyrocketing costs.
Originally budgeted at $33 billion when approved by voters in 2008, the California High-Speed Rail project is now projected to cost between $88 billion and $128 billion. Trump called it “the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen,” adding, “This government is not going to pay.”
Trump praised Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, saying he directed Duffy to stop funding what he called a “boondoggle endeavor.” The Department of Transportation confirmed Tuesday that the Federal Railroad Administration is nearing the conclusion of an investigation into how California spent $4.1 billion in federal grants awarded during the Biden administration. Trump previously sought to claw back $1 billion awarded during his first term.
Newsom’s office fired back, with spokesperson Daniel Villasenor saying, “Hard pass on fiscal tips from the self-described ‘King of Debt’ who ran a steak company, a casino, and a global economy — all into the ground.” He warned that abandoning the rail project now would squander billions already spent and give China a competitive edge in infrastructure.
State officials insist the project is progressing, pointing to 119 miles of active construction in the Central Valley and more than 15,000 construction jobs. “Despite the noise in Washington, California’s high-speed rail project is delivering real results,” said Carol Dahmen, chief of strategic communications for the project.
Still, internal budget negotiations are heating up in Sacramento as Newsom weighs whether to continue funding the rail with revenue from the state’s cap-and-trade program. While public support remains strong — with two-thirds of voters and 82% of Democrats backing the project — some lawmakers are questioning the costs.
“Is it at the top of my priority list? I’ll give you a hard ‘no’ on that,” said Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Riverside).
Trump’s attacks have added new pressure as California’s most ambitious infrastructure project faces its toughest political test yet.
