President Donald Trump's administration said Wednesday it is blocking $18 billion in funding for a New York City rail tunnel under the Hudson River and the Second Avenue Subway — citing not only the government shutdown but also issues of culture and diversity.

The move triggered a rebuke from Gov. Kathy Hochul and from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which accused Trump officials of "inventing" reasons to delay major New York projects.

"They are trying to make culture wars the reason," Hochul said at a news conference in Manhattan. "You can’t make this stuff up folks. It just keeps getting worse and worse."

The New York Democrat said the Republican president and Congress were holding up long-anticipated projects that just recently "finally got moving."

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