Trump Challenges Newsom for Presidential Run in 2028, Criticizes Wildfire Management Record in Los Angeles
Trump Chats with PM Carney, Slams California's High-Speed Rail Mess
Folks, let's talk about President Trump's latest jaw-dropper with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney! During their Oval Office chat, Trump weighed in on U.S.-Canada relations and, as expected, couldn't resist throwing a few jabs at California's beleaguered high-speed rail project.
First, Trump voiced his enthusiasm for California Governor Gavin Newsom potentially joining the Democratic primary race. Yet, he wasn't thrilled about Newsom's handling of wildfires and other crises, which Trump reckoned would doom his chances. Cutting loose, Trump described the high-speed rail project as a gigantic waste of money and ridiculed it as the worst cost overrun he had ever seen.
"Gavin Newsom's train, just a little train going from San Francisco to Los Angeles - it's been totally out of control," Trump said. "This government is not going to pay for that thing, 30 times over budget."
As you might recall, Trump made a visit to Southern California shortly after taking office, checking out the damage left by devastating wildfires. In response, he issued an executive order to override California's fish-protecting rules to maximize water supply and accelerate debris removal. The Trump administration also attempted to override existing California regulations that supposedly "unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries" to the Central Valley Project.
Now, for those of you keeping score, the California High-Speed Rail Authority's initial aim was to get passengers between San Francisco and LA in less than three hours for $33 billion and wrap things up by 2020. Yeah, good luck with that. The project's now expected to cost a staggering $106 billion to complete - $73 billion over the original estimate. Trump is having none of it.
It's become clear that challenges in funding and project scope are escalating issues. Construction efforts are underway, but delays and ongoing costs have raised concerns about the project's long-term prospects, with even federal funding withdrawal recently causing uncertainty.
If that wasn't enough, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched a review in February to determine if the California High-Speed Rail Authority had met its commitments to receive federal funding. If not, well, Duffy isn't ruling out reassigning the funds to other worthy infrastructure projects.
"I will have to consider whether that money could be given to deserving infrastructure projects elsewhere in the United States," Duffy warned.
Looking forward, Trump envisions Newsom taking a stab at the presidency in 2028, but he doubts that'll happen given the high-speed rail mess and other setbacks. Newsom, however, hasn't officially announced his presidential ambitions yet.
In an attempt to salvage the situation, Newsom recently proposed teaming up with Trump to revitalize the TV and film production industry, offering a $7.5 billion federal tax credit program. But, as always with Trump, we'll have to wait and see if he takes the bait.
Until next time, folks, don't forget to check out the latest on our app!
[1] https://californiahighspeedrail.ca.gov/whitley-avenue-underpass-kings-county.html[2] https://abc7.com/politics/high-speed-rail-funding-concerns-project-timeline-questions/10149370/[3] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-21/how-the-high-speed-rail-project-is-changing-summer-2022[4] https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article246611578.html
- The ongoing politics between President Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, centering around California's high-speed rail project, remains a hot topic.
- War-and-conflicts aside, general news outlets are focusing on the escalating issues surrounding the California High-Speed Rail project's funding and project scope.
- Car-accidents, fires, and crimes also make headlines in the realm of local news, but they seem to take a backseat in the face of the high-speed rail drama.
- In the world of sports, baseball, hockey, golf, basketball, and other games are being played, yet the high-speed rail project has managed to overshadow them.
- Sports-betting enthusiasts are discussing MLB, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, and Grand-Prix races, but the California high-speed rail debacle is causing a commotion in the sports analysis community.
- Weather forecasting segments are informing viewers about impending storms or hot spells, while weather itself has become a minor concern compared to the high-speed rail project's challenges.
- The Masters, Wimbledon, US Open, and French Open tennis tournaments are underway, but the attention is split between the games and the ongoing high-speed rail saga.
- Mixed-martial arts events, such as UFC or Bellator fights, traditionally attract a dedicated fanbase, but the high-speed rail project's uncertainty has drawn some attention away.
- Regarding the auto racing scene, racing enthusiasts are discussing the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix, IndyCar Series, NASCAR events, and the Masters of the Valley sports racing series, but the high-speed rail debacle lingers in the background.
- As for California's endemic fires, their damaging effects continue to be a significant concern, but they seem to have become the poor stepchild compared to the high-speed rail project.
- Known for breathtaking horse races like the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders' Cup, horse racing is experiencing a flurry of excitement, but the high-speed rail project is casting a shadow over it.
- With the cost of the California High-Speed Rail project spiraling out of control, politics, war-and-conflicts, car-accidents, fires, sports, crime-and-justice, and even the weather seem less important by comparison.
- As the future of California's high-speed rail project hangs in the balance, it remains a question mark in the realm of politics, economics, and infrastructure planning.
- In a world filled with countless stories and issues, the California High-Speed Rail project's saga continues to captivate the public, acting as a constant reminder of the complexities that surround large-scale government projects.
