The Trump administration has frozen $2.1 billion in federal transit funding for Chicago. Trump has now frozen at least $28 billion in funding for Democratic cities and states. Only Democratic cities and states, eh? Sounds like retaliation to me.
Reuters reports:
President Donald Trump's administration froze $2.1 billion in Chicago transit funding on Friday, starving another Democratic city of funds as a bid to end the government shutdown failed again in the Senate.
On the shutdown's third day, Trump ramped up pressure on Democrats to end the standoff and agree to a Republican plan that would restore government funding. But that failed in a 54-44 Senate vote, short of the chamber's 60-vote standard.
The administration has now frozen at least $28 billion in funding for Democratic cities and states, escalating Trump's campaign to use the extraordinary power of the U.S. government to punish political rivals. Budget director Russ Vought said the Chicago money, earmarked for elevated train lines, had been put on hold to ensure it was not "flowing via race-based contracting."
Vought is the architect of Project 2025, something Trump claimed on the campaign trail to not know anything about. Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the funding freeze amounted to hostage-taking.
"It’s attempting to score political points but is instead hurting our economy and the hardworking people who rely on public transit," he said.
The White House said it was also identifying funds that could be withheld from Portland, Oregon, a left-leaning city that was home to high-profile protests during Trump's first term.
Trump has also threatened to fire more federal workers, beyond the 300,000 he is forcing out this year, and dozens of agencies have submitted workforce reduction plans, according to a White House source speaking on condition of anonymity.
We are on our own, you guys:
Many Republicans say they are not troubled by Trump's pressure campaign, even though it undercuts Congress' constitutional authority over spending matters. In addition to cutting funds to Democratic cities, Trump and his allies have taken to posting social media images with cartoon mustaches and sombreros drawn on his Democratic opponents.
"Is he trying to apply pressure?" House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. "He probably is, yeah. And I applaud that."
If Biden or any president, for that matter, did this to red cities and states, we'd be all, NOPE! That's not who we are, but MAGA is reveling in the madness because he's punishing blue states and cities. The wannabe King is mad with power, and his mental and physical health is declining, yet Republicans are remaining silent about that.
In fact, they're encouraging him. On a positive note, only deceased individuals are supposed to be featured on US currency.
No fake news here. These first drafts honoring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real.
Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over. https://t.co/c6HChM6ijG— U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach (@TreasurerBeach) October 3, 2025
