Newsom’s Diesel Train LIE Caught on Camera

A vintage steam locomotive pulling passenger cars on a railway track

California Governor Gavin Newsom staged a photo op on a conventional diesel freight train to deceive taxpayers about a high-speed rail project that has burned through $15 billion over nearly two decades without laying a single mile of actual high-speed track.

Story Snapshot

$15 billion spent over 18 years with zero miles of high-speed rail track completed, despite promises of a transformative LA-to-San Francisco system by 2020
Project costs exploded from $33 billion to over $128 billion for a drastically reduced 171-mile segment connecting small Central Valley towns, not major cities
Trump administration rescinded $4.2 billion in federal funding after deeming the project unfeasible; Newsom sued to restore taxpayer dollars to the boondoggle
State inspector general reports the Merced-Bakersfield phase alone now costs $35.3 billion, exceeding the original estimate for the entire statewide system
Newsom promotes empty viaducts and “structures” while pursuing his 2028 presidential ambitions, trapping Californians in sunk costs amid state budget deficits

Diesel Train Deception Exposes Political Grandstanding

Gavin Newsom orchestrated a recent State of the State photo opportunity aboard a conventional diesel freight train in California’s Central Valley, falsely suggesting progress on the state’s infamous high-speed rail project. The governor touted “structures” and job creation while standing on ordinary track, misleading residents about a project that has consumed $15 billion without completing any operational high-speed rail infrastructure. Critics immediately exposed the stunt, revealing that the viaducts and overpasses Newsom showcased remain empty monuments to government waste. This calculated deception appears designed to bolster Newsom’s 2028 presidential ambitions by manufacturing an illusion of achievement where none exists, exploiting taxpayer investments for personal political gain.

Broken Promises and Exploding Costs Trap Taxpayers

California voters approved Proposition 1A in 2008, authorizing $9.95 billion in bonds for a high-speed rail system connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco, promised at $33 billion total cost with completion by 2020. The original vision featured trains traveling over 200 mph, transforming transportation across the state. Instead, costs skyrocketed to between $128 billion and $135 billion for a drastically reduced 171-mile segment linking only Merced and Bakersfield, two small Central Valley cities with a combined population around 500,000. The state inspector general issued a scathing report revealing this single phase now carries a $35.3 billion price tag, exceeding the cost estimate for the entire original system. Ridership projections have plummeted 25 percent, and track laying has been postponed until possibly early 2027.

Federal Funding Cut After Feasibility Failure

The Trump administration terminated $4.2 billion in federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project in July 2025 after the Federal Railroad Administration determined the state could not feasibly complete even the limited Merced-Bakersfield segment by 2033. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the decision, pointing to decades of failure and the project’s status as a humiliating emblem of government waste. Senator Ted Cruz released investigative reports documenting the frivolous spending, urging an end to the boondoggle. Newsom responded by filing a lawsuit attempting to force federal taxpayers to continue subsidizing California’s fiscal mismanagement, risking additional legal costs while the state faces mounting budget deficits. This lawsuit represents a brazen attempt to compel citizens nationwide to fund a failed vanity project serving no major population centers.

Sunk Costs Justify Doubling Down on Failure

California’s legislature now contemplates allocating an additional $20 billion to extend this boondoggle despite overwhelming evidence of failure, illustrating how sunk costs trap governments in wasteful commitments. Reform California’s Carl DeMaio characterized Newsom’s strategy as an insidious move to perpetuate the project rather than admit defeat, protecting political legacies at taxpayer expense. The rural-to-rural connector offers minimal utility, lacking practical transit connections; one state assemblymember mockingly asked how residents would reach these isolated stations, suggesting they “Uber to Wasco.” Economic analysts note the wasted $15 billion could have purchased approximately 200 commercial flights per California resident or funded ten aircraft carriers. Expert Steve Forbes calls the projections pure fantasy, arguing the legislature’s plan to sink another $20 billion represents reckless fiscal management that discourages legitimate infrastructure investment nationwide.

This debacle undermines fundamental conservative principles of fiscal responsibility and limited government, demonstrating how political ambition and bureaucratic momentum override common sense and accountability. Newsom’s diesel train theatrics epitomize the disconnect between progressive politicians and hardworking Americans watching their tax dollars vanish into projects connecting nowhere to nowhere. The high-speed rail disaster stands as a cautionary tale about trusting government with massive infrastructure promises built on fantasy ridership numbers and cost estimates divorced from reality. California taxpayers deserve leaders willing to acknowledge failure and redirect resources toward genuine needs rather than doubling down on boondoggles to fuel presidential campaigns, yet Newsom chooses grandstanding over governance, leaving residents to shoulder the debt for generations.