Greedy Gavin Newsom Goes After Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund

Anyone who says Trump Derangement Syndrome doesn’t exist hasn’t bothered to remove their blinders. It’s a real thing that has people acting out against a person instead of a policy or belief. Unfortunately, this madness seems to be prevalent in our elected officials, influencing their decisions that affect their constituents. California Governor Gavin Newsom is one such example. The Golden State Democrat recently vowed to tax people who receive a portion of the president’s anti-weaponization fund by 100%.

Newsom to Penalize Citizens

Just how popular Gavin Newsom is depends on who you ask. He has his fans, sure – but he has also been criticized over everything from homelessness and crime to the high-speed railroad that has yet to manifest and fraud in the state. Now, his most recent idea likely stems from his extreme dislike of President Donald Trump. And it will likely only hurt the citizens of his state.

The Department of Justice announced the creation of a $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund as part of a settlement agreement in Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. According to the DOJ, the fund would create a process for hearing claims from people who believe they were victims of government “weaponization” or “lawfare.” This includes those prosecuted for the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, insurrection, demonstration, or whatever you wish to label it. This is where Newsom took issue.

“One thing that I think we’re going to try to do, with your support, is tax 100% anyone from California that receives any of those funds,” Newsom said during a news conference in his office. “And that’s an action the state of California can take. It’s an action we look forward to taking.”

When Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked by CNN whether the rioters would get the money, he responded: “People that hurt police get money all the time.” He added it would be “abhorrent to ever, ever touch a law enforcement officer” and said it as “a completely different question with whether an individual is allowed to apply for a claim” and “whether they’ll get a claim.”

Newsom is not the only one seeking ways to thwart the anti-weaponization fund. New York State Assembly member Alex Bores, a Democrat who is now running for Congress, posted on social media that he’s introduced a bill, the Anti-Insurrectionist Act, which he boasted would prevent President Trump from using “your tax dollars” to pay out to those involved at the Capitol riot.

“It’s simple: If you’re a New Yorker who takes from Trump’s illegal January 6th slush fund, NY will tax 100% of it,” Bores posted on X.

Justice Department spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre told The Hill in an email that these governors should be more concerned about their states and the problems there. “Instead of flaunting their love of lawfare and taxing constituents into oblivion, Governors [Kathy] Hochul and Newsom should focus on preventing more of their residents from fleeing in droves to free states with lower taxes, less crime, and governments that actually serve the people they represent.”

More California Chaos

California is the only state that has not repaid its COVID federal unemployment loan. As Republican Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares said on her website, “Rather than using a historic $98 billion budget surplus in 2022 to address the debt, the majority party chose to spend the money elsewhere, leaving California employers to foot the bill through automatic federal payroll tax increases.”

The senator introduced amendments to resolve the $20 billion federal unemployment insurance debt that would have the state’s capitol responsible for paying back the obligation, but it didn’t pass. Instead, the liability will be given to businesses with a 250% increase in their employee payroll tax – per employee.

“Sacramento broke it, and Sacramento should pay for it, not California businesses and workers,” she said. “Sacramento allowed tens of billions in fraudulent unemployment claims to go out the door, failed to repay what it owed, and then turned around and stuck employers with a tax hike.”

Political leaders are elected to serve the people of their states, not use government power to punish citizens over political disagreements. Promising to tax Californians at 100% simply because they receive money from a fund tied to Donald Trump sounds less like leadership and more like political retaliation. At a time when Californians are already burdened with high taxes, rising crime, homelessness, and businesses leaving the state, many residents would likely prefer their governor focus on fixing California’s growing problems instead of fighting ideological battles with Trump supporters.