Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized California's high-speed rail project during a press conference at LA's Union Station, labeling it wasteful and unaccountable, while announcing a compliance review for its funded $4 billion federal grant. Duffy's remarks were met with fierce protests from the crowd, who chanted phrases like 'Build the rail!' and criticized delays. Expressing the sentiment that project management had been severely lacking, he suggested that protesters should be pressuring California’s Governor Newsom regarding the project's issues. The high-speed rail, initially slated for completion in 2020, has no estimated finish date due to persistent delays and setbacks.
The Trump-appointed director of the Department of Transportation criticized the project, which has been marred in delays and setbacks, as unnecessarily wasteful and inefficient. 'Can California build a project with an allotted amount of time, with an allotted amount of money? Because right now, all the estimates have been wrong,' Duffy said.
The most striking part of the conference may have been the LA crowd's vocal protests. Beneath the sound of Duffy's voice, video of the conference sounds like a hostile sports match, with near-constant waves of boos and chants.
President Trump has thought about this project, he's talked about this project, and I think he was kind when he said that this project has been mismanaged,' Duffy told reporters.
One protestor held up a cardboard sign: 'Don't delay our trains.' The protestors chanted at different points: 'Build the rail! Build the rail! We pay taxes, we want trains!'
These protestors should all be at the steps of Gavin Newsom's mansion. They should all talk to him about what happened here,' Duffy said.
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