Deep-red St. George gets "heartbreaking" cut from Trump's "big, beautiful bill"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
A St. George official says it's "heartbreaking" that funding allocated last year for a major highway project was cut under President Trump's so-called "big beautiful bill."
The intrigue: Because St. George overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2024, MAGA critics are pointing to the funding loss as an example of "leopards eating people's faces" — a saying that mocks people harmed by political agendas they voted for.
Driving the news: Republican St. George City Councilman Jimmie Hughes told Politico last week that the grant cut is "a little bit heartbreaking" because it would have funded a project designed to reduce I-15's worsening congestion.
Catch up quick: The Biden administration in 2024 awarded $87.6 million for two new I-15 underpasses below city streets, in conjunction with added lanes on the highway through the fast-growing metro area.
- City leaders at the time described being "thrilled" by the funding, which was widely supported by residents.
Friction point: Trump and congressional Republicans cut the grant program because it "prioritized [diversity, equity and inclusion] and Green priorities while ignoring the core infrastructure needs of our country," Nate Sizemore, a federal transportation spokesperson, told Politico.
The latest: City leaders say the funding cut has effectively stalled the entire project, the St. George News reported this weekend.
- Crews planned to build the underpasses before expanding the highway because the reverse would be far more costly.
Between the lines: Utah's entire congressional delegation voted for Trump's bill, including Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy, whose district includes St. George.
Zoom out: Hughes' remarks have been broadly shared online, and left-leaning news outlets like The Daily Kos and Rawstory covered the story.
- Neither Hughes nor Maloy immediately responded to Axios' requests for comment Monday afternoon.
By the numbers: In 2024, Trump won nearly 74% of votes in St. George and more than 75% of all votes in Washington County.