Trump Threatens to Withhold Gateway Tunnel Funds Despite Court Order

President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding for the $16 billion Gateway tunnel project in a social media post, calling it a "boondoggle" and warning the government would not cover cost overruns. This came just days after a federal judge on February 6 ordered his administration to release the frozen funds, and amid the project having been paused since October, resulting in approximately 1,000 workers losing their jobs. Governor Kathy Hochul reported speaking with Trump four times in recent days about the critical infrastructure project, which would add a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey. The threat represented explicit defiance of a federal court order. The administration ultimately complied with the court order and released the funds on February 18.

"Trump in an internet post on Feb. 16 again threatened to cancel the project, calling it a boondoggle." — Trump's social media post threatening to withhold federal funding despite a federal court order issued February 6 requiring the release of funds for the Gateway tunnel project