California Gov. Gavin Newsom is floating a federal tax boycott. Here's what to know.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested withholding the state's taxes amid reports the Trump administration may cut funding for the state's universities.

As tensions escalate between California and the Trump administration over immigration, another potential battlefront is emerging over taxes.

The spat began with reports that the Trump administration is considering cutting funding for California’s university system, the largest higher education system in the nation with about 12% of all U.S. enrolled students.

In response, Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote Friday afternoon in a social media post that California provides about $80 billion more in taxes to the federal government than it receives in return.

“Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump,” Newsom said.

  • Katana314@lemmy.worldEnglish
    294·
    2 days ago

    One thing that might be misunderstood here is that California not paying taxes wouldn’t harm Trump. Trump’s goal, made clear from a sum of lots of behaviors, is the destruction of the United States. Defaulting on its debt, zeroing its GDP, destroying the livelihood of its inhabitants, and ultimately killing its war machine, so that they can’t fight Putin’s army. California’s lack of payment may just hasten that goal.

    • Pelicanen@sopuli.xyz
      15·
      1 day ago

      I don’t think Trump is as much of a lackey that’s following the plan as he is a useful idiot that’s easy to manipulate. I believe that Trump believes that the US is the biggest and the best - it suits the same image he has of himself as the biggest and best leader - but he’s so dumb and narcissistic that he won’t realize that he’s being led on a leash.

      I don’t think Trump consciously wants to destroy America, I think he wants to make it what he considers to be great (a militarily powerful dictatorship built on worshiping him), but he’s absolutely fine with making it weaker in the interim if it either:
      A. Makes him gain something
      B. Feeds his ego

    • Sheep Herder@lemmy.world
      193·
      1 day ago

      I don’t think he is a puppet of Putin. I think he really, really likes money and power, that’s it. He does things to further his own grip of the country, thus increasing his power. Or, he does things to increase his wealth. Nothing more. He likes authoritarian leaders because they have more of a hold on their respective countries (a weird form of respect), or because they give him money (or expensive planes).

      • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
        2·
        1 day ago

        But if it’s not Putin’s fault,

        1. US people would have to face the reality that there’s stupid people among them
        2. and there’d be no “external threat” to distract from internal problems!
    • angrystego@lemmy.world
      10·
      1 day ago

      It might put California on the track to surviving Trump’s destruction and becoming a civilized country opposed to Putin, unlike other US states.