President Trump just delivered a major blow to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — and a big win for American taxpayers — by cutting off $18 billion in federal funding for two of Schumer’s pet projects in New York: the Gateway Program and the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 expansion.
The move, which immediately triggered outrage from Schumer and his Democrat allies, is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to rein in reckless spending and stop funneling taxpayer dollars into blue-state vanity projects. For Trump, it’s also a message: Washington will no longer reward states that refuse to fix their own messes.
“We’re cutting a $20 billion project that Schumer fought for 15 years to get… and I’m cutting the project. The project’s gonna be dead,” President Trump said, making it clear that fiscal responsibility — not political favoritism — would guide his administration’s decisions.
Schumer, predictably, melted down. The New York Democrat lashed out at the president, calling the decision “vindictive, reckless, and foolish.” He claimed it would harm “hundreds of thousands of New York and New Jersey commuters” and cost “good-paying jobs.” But critics were quick to point out that the same Democrats crying foul about “jobs” have spent years strangling businesses with taxes, regulations, and crime.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump brushed off Schumer’s attacks. “As of now, it’s terminated,” he said bluntly. “And it’s terminated because the Democrats are so foolish for what they’ve done to the country.”
The president added that Democrats could easily resolve the situation by cooperating on a responsible budget instead of fueling endless shutdown drama. “All they have to do is just say, ‘Let everything continue.’ But right now there is no funding, because it’s up to me,” Trump said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed the president’s no-nonsense stance earlier this year, warning that federal transit funds would be tied to basic safety standards — something New York has failed to meet. “We give millions of dollars a year to the New York subway, and part of the requirement is they keep it safe,” Duffy said. “If people can’t go to the subway without being stabbed, thrown onto the tracks, or harassed by the homeless, then we can’t justify pouring more money into it.”
Duffy made it clear that the administration’s crackdown isn’t just about New York — it’s about accountability nationwide. “It’s not just New York; it’ll be Chicago, it’ll be Washington, D.C. The American people expect their subways to be places where they can get to work safely. If they don’t change their ways, we’re pulling the cash,” he warned.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who initially dismissed Duffy’s warning with a flippant “Tell Sean Duffy, we’ve got this,” was quickly forced to backtrack. Facing public outrage over rising subway violence, Hochul promised to put an officer on every train overnight for six months — effectively admitting that Trump and Duffy were right all along.
Once again, President Trump has made his point: America’s money should serve America’s people, not fund blue-state corruption, bloated bureaucracy, or crumbling liberal utopias. And for Chuck Schumer, the message couldn’t be clearer — the gravy train has officially gone off the rails.
