California’s impeccably coiffed Governor Gavin Newsom, the man who destroyed San Francisco before going on to try to destroy California, sure seems to lurch from absurdity to absurdity. He’s suffering from Stage 5 Trump Derangement Syndrome, and despite some recent comments that reflected a tiny bit of reality on this issue, he seems to be making the whole “dudes in girls’ sports” issue the hill he wants to end his political career on.
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Now he’s threatening to withhold California’s tax money from the federal government. That, folks, is defiance of federal authority; it’s unconstitutional, it’s illegal, and he’s blasting an unapologetic and somewhat unhinged message on X about it.
Californians pay the bills for the federal government.
We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back.
Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/lwFHFSgSyJ
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 6, 2025
Fox News host Tomi Lahren had a great reply:
Why can’t you just protect women’s sports? Why is that so friggin hard for you?
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) June 6, 2025
Apparently, yes, it is too friggin hard for the governor of the once-Golden state to just engage his higher thought processes and admit, “You know, it’s true, we shouldn’t let dudes play on girls’ and women’s sports teams.” Speaking as a member of the other team, though, I can only say, “Please, Governor Newsom, please make this the centerpiece of the presidential campaign we all know you’re considering in 2028.”
There are several problems with this idea, and when it comes to Gavin Newsom, we use the word “idea” in the broadest possible sense. First of all, California can’t withhold federal tax revenue. Forget the constitutional and legal problems for a moment; California can’t withhold those revenues because they don’t collect those revenues. Federal income and payroll taxes are collected by Washington, not Sacramento. But there are constitutional problems with this as well; Article VI of the Constitution says in part:
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This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
The Constitution gives Congress the authority to levy taxes in Article 1, Section VIII:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States
So, sorry, Governor; once again, you’re blowing bull cookies into the stratosphere. You can blather on X all you like, but you lack the authority or even the ability to do what you’re threatening.
See Also: Finding Out: Trump Is Reportedly About to Slash Federal Funds for California
Honestly, this constitutional illiterate is considered one of the leaders of today’s Democratic Party? Are these people even aware that the Constitution exists? Are they completely clueless about the supremacy clause? The concept of federalism?
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Gavin Newsom almost certainly knows all this, of course. He’s just taking a dump on X, as he’s prone to do. His Trump Derangement Syndrome has reached new heights, and the impeccably coiffed governor has reached new lows. As for those of us on the opposing team, we just can’t help but laugh.
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