President Donald Trump and his goons canceled yet another major infrastructure project that would benefit millions of taxpayers, marking the latest casualty of Trump's retribution campaign against states that did not vote for him in the 2024 election.
The cuts are apparently an attempt to punish Democrats for the government shutdown—which polls show voters believe Republicans are responsible for as they have unified control of Washington.
Yet Russell Vought, the Project 2025 mastermind who now heads the Office of Management and Budget, said the cancellations are actually because of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—an nonsensical admission to make in a PR war Republicans are already losing.
A Chicago Transit Authority train pulls into the new Damen Ave. station just two blocks from the United Center.
"$2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects—specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project—have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting. More info to come soon from @USDOT," Vought, wrote Friday morning in a post on X.
The announcement comes days after Vought announced that the Trump administration also canceled $8 billion in clean energy projects in states Democrats carried in 2024—a move that will spike already rising energy costs for consumers, even those who voted for Trump.
And Vought said he's canceling billions in federal funding for the Hudson River rail tunnel project that connects New Jersey and New York—a major project that will impact travel for millions of people along the Eastern Seaboard. Vought also said that funding for an extension of the 2nd Avenue Subway line in Manhattan was nixed.
"Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles. More info to come soon from @USDOT," Vought wrote in a post on X.
Democrats are slamming Trump and Republicans for the cuts of funding that were already approved by Congress, calling the cuts both corrupt and illegal.
"Yesterday Trump and @russvought announced they will cancel infrastructure projects in states with Dem Senators. This is deeply corrupt," Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) wrote in a post on X. "Trump and Vought will raise electricity prices for millions of Americans and kill jobs—including in districts represented by Republicans."
“Just naked and brazen corruption,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) wrote in an X post. “Time to stiffen our spines and demand that we only fund a government that obeys the law.”
Aside from being just plain evil, the cuts are also stupid politically.
Already, polls show voters are blaming Republicans for the shutdown.
A Washington Post survey published Thursday found a near majority—47%—of Americans say Trump and Republicans in Congress are responsible for the paralyzed federal government.
“Because all branches of government are currently controlled by Republicans yet they are somehow blaming Democrats for their inability to get something figured out that both parties agree on,” one Montana woman who identifies as an independent told the Washington Post about why she believes Trump and congressional Republicans are to blame.
That’s why it boggles the mind that Republicans think it’s a smart idea to expect that voters will blame Democrats for their evil funding cuts.
In fact, even some Trump administration officials are growing concerned that the shutdown—which Democrats say hinges on the fact that Republicans will not extend subsidies for low-income Americans to purchase health insurance—will hurt their party.
From a report in the Wall Street Journal:
President Trump has projected unwavering confidence that he is winning the messaging war over the government shutdown. But behind the scenes, his team is increasingly concerned that the issue at the center of the debate will create political vulnerabilities for Republicans.
Even the cruel assholes in the White House have some moments of clarity, it seems.
