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Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton challenged Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's argument that a Democratic governor should lead the party's 2028 presidential ticket Friday on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," pointing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom's unfinished high-speed rail project as Beshear touted Democratic governors' accomplishments.
Beshear, discussing potential Democratic presidential contenders, argued that governors could point to tangible accomplishments that would distinguish them from President Donald Trump.
"What Democratic governors have are receipts," he said. "You can look at, have you built the housing?"
"Have you built the high-speed rail?" Hilton asked.
The exchange came after Maher raised Newsom as a potential 2028 contender, although the California governor has not formally announced a presidential campaign.
Maher acknowledged Hilton's point, suggesting the Republican candidate could use the project's troubled history against Newsom.
"You're going to have a field day with that. No, you're right," Maher said.
Matt Ciepielowski, Hilton's campaign manager, criticized California's continued investment in the project in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"If Andy Beshear thinks California’s high-speed rail is something to brag about, he should try buying a ticket. Billions spent, years behind schedule, and Californians still can’t ride it. Gavin Newsom’s answer is to keep pouring money into it."
Ciepielowski also said Hilton would end state funding for the project if elected governor.
"Steve Hilton will end state funding on day one," he said. "Californians are struggling to pay their own bills. They shouldn’t have to keep paying for Sacramento’s failures, too."
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California state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, also criticized Newsom's handling of the project, pointing to findings about taxpayer-funded travel expenses submitted by project consultants.
"The high-speed fail should have been defunded when Newsom took office in 2019," he said. "Instead, he doubled down on a project that will never be built as originally proposed to Californians. The latest scandal involving project consultants' misuse of public funds to pay for luxury travel under Newsom’s watch is yet another slap in the face to California families struggling to pay for essentials like gas, food, and rent."
"These are taxpayer dollars, yet project consultants treat them like their personal ATM. This project will go down as one of the most wasteful government projects in California history," he continued.
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California's high-speed rail system has faced years of delays and escalating costs since voters approved nearly $10 billion in bonds in 2008. An April estimate placed the cost of the full project at approximately $126 billion, compared with an original estimate of $33 billion. No high-speed track had been laid as of that report.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority said in its 2026 business plan that completing the initial Merced-to-Bakersfield segment would cost an estimated $35.7 billion, with passenger service targeted for 2033. According to the authority's financial records, approximately $15.7 billion had been spent through February.
The project's financial oversight also came under renewed scrutiny following a September investigation by California's independent high-speed rail inspector general. Investigators identified approximately $81,000 in consultant travel expenses that appeared to violate state regulations and another $543,000 that appeared impermissible under contract terms, with some overlap between the findings. Questionable charges included premium transportation and trips to gyms, a nightclub and an escape room.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority outlined corrective actions, including additional oversight, employee training and efforts to recover payments determined to be improper.
Despite the criticism, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has maintained that construction is advancing. In an October update, officials reported completing 66 major structures and nearly 90 miles of guideway in the Central Valley, while emphasizing the project's expected transportation, economic and employment benefits.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom and the California High-Speed Rail Authority for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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