California High Speed Rail Authority Refutes President Trump’s Investigation Threats

The California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) responded to President Trump launching an investigation into the high cost of the rail system on Wednesday, saying that “every dollar has been accounted for” and that the project is now past a point of no return to be completed.

Originally estimated to cost $33 billion in 2008 with a San Francisco to Los Angeles line  to open by 2028, the California high speed rail system has since ballooned to $128 billion, and $135 billion+, with an estimated partial completion somewhere in the late 2030’s. And last year, CHRSA actually confirmed that the system still needed $100 billion to link up San Francisco and Los Angeles. The true cost may also be much higher than anticipated, with some estimates during the Governorship of Jerry Brown putting that figure at around $350 billion.

President Trump announced on Tuesday that he would be launching an investigation into CAHSR, fulfilling a promise his administration made to look into the system. Specifically, he noted that the high cost of the program was mind-boggling, echoing decades of criticisms within California that the project has been nothing more than a boondoggle.

“The train that’s being built between Los Angeles and San Francisco is the worst managed project I think I’ve ever seen,” said Trump on Tuesday. “We’re going to start an investigation of that because it’s not possible. I built for a living and I built on time, on budget. It’s impossible that something could cost that much. They made it much shorter. So now it’s at little places way away from San Francisco and way away from Los Angeles. We’re going to start a big investigation on that because I’ve never seen anything like it. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.

“It’s the worst managed project I think I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen some of the worst. I read that every person who would ride the train could instead take a limousine back and forth, and you’d have hundreds of billions of dollars left over. It is the worst overrun that there has ever been in the history of our country.”

Initially, CHSRA was dismissive, beginning their response post on X with “Ignore the noise”.

“Ignore the noise. We’re busy building,” read the post. “As we enter the track-laying phase, 171 miles are under active construction & we’ve already:  COMPLETED 50 major structures  COMPLETED 60 miles of guideway  COMPLETED full enviro clearance from SF to LA  CREATED 14,600 jobs.”

However, the story was picked up rapidly by state, national, and international outlets. Many in California likewise began expressing support of Trump’s investigation and even expressed support in shutting down the project.

“We had trouble finding people to give a counterpoint last night,” said a television news reporter in Fresno to the Globe on Wednesday. “We set up shop on Fulton Street to ask for reactions and a lot of people said they wanted it to stop. Many of them even said some variation of “I don’t like Trump but I think that investigation is a good idea.” We did eventually get some people who were against it, but it took a lot longer than we thought.”

Many lawmakers also gave public support of Trump’s investigation plans.

“We have been left with no idea for how CA plans to finish the High Speed Rail, making Fresno an architectural graveyard rather than the epitome of technological development,” said Assemblyman David Tangipa (R-Fresno) on Tuesday. “AB 377 requires CA to disclose its financial plans and budget to finish the High Speed Rail.”

“Absolutely correct! California’s mismanaged high speed rail project is a complete mess,” added Congressman Vince Fong (R-CA). “There are better uses of these precious tax dollars.”

The high amount of support for such an investigation led to CHSRA giving a more formal response on Wednesday. In their response, CHSRA defended their spending, said all spending has been accounted for, and stressed that the project is now past the point of no return to be stopped.

“Of approximately $13 billion spent on the project, $10.5 billion have been funded exclusively by the State of California (not hundreds of billions) and those expenditures have created over $22 billion in economic impact,” said CHSRA in a statement. “Every dollar of the project is accounted for and has been thoroughly reviewed by the independent Office of the Inspector General [whose] sole focus is improving oversight and accountability of the California high-speed rail project.

“The project has reached a point of no return. The majority of the approximately 500-mile system from San Francisco to Los Angeles is fully environmentally cleared and stand shovel-ready for future phases of investment to complete a high-speed rail system that embodies the very best of what California represents – a willingness to dream big, to take on challenges, and to lead the way for the rest of the nation and the world.”

Even with a clarification, the investigation by DOGE is moving forward. Calls for construction of the high speed rail system to stop are likewise continuing to mount as well.

“The last thing high speed rail higher-ups wanted was a federal look into their finances and it all coming out on a national level like this,” said transportation industry accountant Derrick Clark to the Globe on Wednesday. “They’ve been all progress, progress, progress. Jobs, jobs, jobs. Environment, environment, environment. But now the federal government is looking into them.

“You know how at the end of Home Alone 2, Kevin’s dad shouted “Kevin! You spent $967 on room service!” loud enough from a hotel to be heard from Central Park? That might just be DOGE’s reaction to what exactly CHSRA spending has been like. It would be difficult to stop construction at this point. But if there is enough wrong, and it isn’t all being spent the best way possible, California High Speed Rail could be in serious trouble. With all the nation to see.”