Gov. Newsom derails Trump’s call to return funding for bullet train project
A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced plans to scale back the high-speed rail project, President Trump demanded that California return billions of dollars to the federal government.
In a tweet Wednesday, Trump said the state had been forced to cancel the project and referred to it as a “green disaster.â€
Newsom fired back in his own tweet, decrying what he called “fake news.â€
During his first State of the State address Tuesday, Newsom announced he was scaling back the $77-billion project. He said he supports finishing the controversial high-speed rail line between Bakersfield and Merced but needs to reassess the crucial legs connecting major urban centers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
“We’re building high-speed rail, connecting the Central Valley and beyond,†he said on Twitter. “This is CA’s money, allocated by Congress for this project. We’re not giving it back.â€
Newsom also took the opportunity to make a dig at the president, questioning if he was “desperately searching for some wall $$??â€
Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
