Race Day Live California’s high-speed rail project is facing its biggest challenge yet, and former President Donald Trump is making sure it won’t move forward.
Trump has made it clear that no federal funding will go to the bullet train, and if history is any indication, he might even try to take back money already allocated under the Biden administration.
His statements about the rail project weren’t direct, but they were clear enough. He called it “the worst managed project” he’s ever seen—strong words from someone who once bankrupted a casino.
Trump has never been a fan of California’s infrastructure projects. He has been wrong about many things in the state, including water management and wildfires.
But when it comes to the high-speed rail, he’s right about one thing—the project has been dramatically downsized.
The original vision of a train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco has turned into a much smaller segment between Merced and Bakersfield.
As Trump bluntly put it, “Now it’s at little places way away from San Francisco and way away from Los Angeles.”
Even though Trump doesn’t have the legal power to shut down the project entirely, he can still stop it by refusing federal funding.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has been struggling with delays and budget overruns for over 15 years.
Right now, they need $7 billion in federal money over the next five years just to finish the 171-mile stretch under construction in the Central Valley.
That money is needed to build stations, lay tracks, install electric wiring, and buy trains. But with Trump in office, that money isn’t coming.
That leaves California as the only source of funding, relying on climate bonds and cap-and-trade revenues.
But the state’s financial situation isn’t great either. The Legislative Analyst’s Office predicts years of budget deficits, making it even harder to support the rail project.
If federal funding dries up, the project will likely grind to a halt. It’s not what supporters of high-speed rail wanted to hear, but it’s the reality.
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Fresno’s leaders, including Mayor Jerry Dyer, have been counting on the bullet train to boost the city’s downtown area.
But with no money to move forward, it’s time to rethink expectations. Fresno officials should focus on making sure that whatever has already been built—bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure—can still be used by Amtrak or other transportation projects.
The last thing the city needs is a landscape of half-finished construction sites with no trains to run on them.
As long as Trump is in office, California’s high-speed rail dream is dead. There’s no point pretending otherwise.
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