**Report: Trump May Reclaim $4.3 Billion in Unused High-Speed Rail Funds from California**  

President **Donald Trump** could move to **claw back $4.3 billion** in unspent federal funds allocated for **California’s troubled high-speed rail project**, echoing his decision in his first term to freeze **$1 billion** for the repeatedly delayed initiative.  

Originally approved by **California voters in 2008**, the high-speed rail project was championed by former Governor **Jerry Brown (D)** as a way to **boost the economy and combat climate change**. However, under Governor **Gavin Newsom (D)**, the project was dramatically scaled back.  

Trump **blocked $1 billion** in federal funding after **Newsom canceled** the original vision of a bullet train connecting **San Francisco and Los Angeles**, citing excessive costs and delays. Instead, Newsom opted to continue construction on a **smaller segment** between **rural Central Valley towns**, despite **minimal demand**.  

Trump not only halted additional funding but also **attempted to reclaim billions** already spent, arguing that **federal taxpayers had funded a statewide high-speed rail link—not a scaled-down regional line**. Newsom, however, insisted that **California should retain the money**, regardless of project completion.  

### **Biden Restored Funding, but Trump May Reverse It Again**  Upon taking office, **President Joe Biden** reversed Trump’s decision in **2021**, reinstating the blocked funds and expanding federal investment in **a separate high-speed rail project**—a **privately led** venture connecting **Los Angeles to Las Vegas**, which had a greater chance of commercial success.  

However, with Trump returning to office in **2025**, his administration has once again raised concerns over **California’s high-speed rail project**. He has vowed to **investigate potential corruption** in the project’s funding and execution.  

### **$4.3 Billion in Unspent Funds Could Be on the Chopping Block**  According to **The Fresno Bee**, the **Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)**—led by **Elon Musk**—could target the project for **funding cuts**:  

 “While the first $2.5 billion in federal grants awarded by the Obama administration in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been fully spent—matched by an equal amount of state money—almost **$4.3 billion remains unspent** as of November 2024. Most of that was awarded by the Department of Transportation under the Biden administration. The unspent federal funds conceivably could be subject to **cancellation by a hostile Trump administration**.”  

California’s **high-speed rail authority** currently aims to build **171 miles** of track between **Bakersfield and Merced**, with trains expected to begin operations **between 2030 and 2033**.  

### **Musk’s High-Speed Rail Vision vs. California’s Struggles**  

Ironically, **Elon Musk** once proposed his own version of high-speed travel for California: the **Hyperloop**, which would have linked **San Francisco and Los Angeles** via underground tunnels or a route along **Interstate 5**. However, Musk’s concept never moved beyond the **theoretical stage**.  

Now, with Musk's influence in the **Trump administration**, California’s high-speed rail **may once again face financial uncertainty**—and the **$4.3 billion in unspent funds** could be on the chopping block.