Trump announces investigation into Cali’s $128BN failed High-Speed Rail

President Trump announces his team will investigate California's high speed rail project. "The worst managed project that I think I've ever seen... hundreds of billions of dollars over budget."
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President Donald Trump has announced his intention to launch an investigation into the California High-Speed Rail project, criticizing it as the "worst managed project" he has seen. This statement was made during a press interaction in the Oval Office, where he highlighted the project's ballooning costs and inefficiencies. Originally estimated at $33 billion in 2008 for a line connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles, the project's cost has escalated significantly, now projected at between $128 billion to $135 billion with a completion timeline pushed into the 2030s.
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Trump's critique includes the project's failure to meet its initial goals, as the current construction does not extend to either San Francisco or Los Angeles but rather focuses on a segment between Bakersfield and Merced. He has suggested that the project might be a case of mismanagement or even corruption, referring to it as possibly involving "kickbacks."

This announcement has set the stage for potential political confrontation with California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been supportive of the rail project despite its challenges. Newsom previously scaled back the project in 2019, focusing on completing a segment in the Central Valley rather than the full line due to cost overruns and delays.

The investigation could lead to significant changes or even the cessation of federal funding for the project, which has already seen federal funds withdrawn during Trump's first term and later restored under the Biden administration. The sentiment on platforms like X reflects a mix of support for the investigation, with some users criticizing the project as a "giant money laundering scheme" or a "big leftist grift operation," while others might see it as an attack on progressive infrastructure initiatives.

Given the political context, this move by Trump can be seen as part of a broader critique of government spending and efficiency, aligning with his administration's focus on reducing federal expenditures on what he deems as wasteful projects. However, the outcome of such an investigation could have profound implications for California's high-speed rail ambitions and the broader discourse on infrastructure investment in the United States.