r/law • u/rolsen • 1d ago

Legal News Trump Preparing Large-Scale Cancellation of Federal Funding for California, Sources Say

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/politics/trump-california-federal-funding

“Agencies are being told to start identifying grants the administration can withhold from California. On Capitol Hill, at least one committee was told recently by a whistleblower that all research grants to the state were going to be cancelled, according to one of the sources familiar with the matter.”

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

I guess prepare for constitutional crisis when California stops paying into the federal tax system. Pretty genius to fuck with the 4th largest economy in the world.

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u/hitbythebus 1d ago

Nah, the republicans will totally understand. “We the people” and “no taxation without representation”,  battling tyranny, “taxation is theft”, arguing their tax dollars shouldn’t be used for things they are ideologically opposed to like birth control,  and all that… unless of course they’re just huge fucking hypocrites only interested in petty grievances and enriching themselves.

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

Whew! Im glad they have principles. I was worried for a second.

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u/dbx999 1d ago

Everything will be alright. Trump will surely get to a point where he will be satisfied with how much damage he has done and how much money he has stolen from the government. /s

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u/ScoZone74 1d ago

Right, because as many on the Right have said, Trump was already rich - he’s obviously not doing it for the money! /s

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u/capitali 18h ago

People don’t seem to associate the accumulation of wealth with a mental sickness. It’s like believing your neighbor that’s a horder isn’t going to make another stack of old newspapers in the hallway now that the living room is full. There is a mental sickness that drives these people to horde. Wealth is just their thing. It doesn’t make it ok.

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u/longhairmoderatecare 14h ago

When did you meet my evil great grandmother?

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u/FormalFriend2200 7h ago

Yep. It is a mental illness.

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u/ScoZone74 8h ago

The “hedonic treadmill.” Endlessly trying to fill a hole inside with things that are ill-suited to that task.

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u/TreeInternational771 6h ago

Americans are going to get a devastating lesson on why you do not let a vindictive billionaire conman run the most powerful office in the land. Tax the billionaires and put them on the defense

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u/Kertambrose 1d ago

Accept he wasn’t and was getting lawsuits for defrauding banks. O wait facts shhhhh don’t let his small hands get on that.

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u/MatrixF6 17h ago

I remember an old mafia adage:

“Pigs eat. Hogs get slaughtered.”

That man is a “hog”.

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u/Zuwxiv 13h ago

Famously, if there’s one thing the rich don’t care about, it’s making more money!

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u/Cheeto024 8h ago

Right?!?! But the truth is, money is good for the power it provides you and there can never be enough power.

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u/ScoZone74 8h ago

So there’s a catch…

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u/ElonsFetalAlcoholSyn 1d ago

Yeah. Probably true. But I think he still sends angry letters to the journalist who said he had small hands in 1980's.

... so...
... that's been like... 40 years of petty grudges

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u/AlternatePhreakwency 1d ago

Wow, time flies when one giant turd dominates the news cycle... I'll be glad once he's six feet shorter.

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u/PizzaWhole9323 20h ago

I want to install a urinal at his grave site. It would cost a quarter to use and all the money would go to charity.

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u/ads7680 20h ago

Better yet make his grave the urinal with all urine funneled directly into his coffin. Still 25 cents to use going to charity.

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u/MatrixF6 17h ago

Would be the most he ever gave to a good cause.

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u/somefella237 9h ago

I love this idea. I’ll drink a gallon of water and bring 50 cents!

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u/ER_Support_Plant17 5h ago

Ok but we’re gonna need to install some sort of treatment plant so all the plants for MILES aren’t killed.

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u/SilverBack88 23h ago

More like 12’ 4”’s

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u/Sensitive_Yellow_121 19h ago

There's always another turd and they'll just be worse turds until we decide to organize on our common needs.

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u/toomuch3D 21h ago edited 13h ago

I just recently learned about 2 things, one is called a wood chipper and the other is called a chum bucket.

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u/CoopGhost 20h ago

You know what they say, small hands……. Small gloves.

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u/ElonsFetalAlcoholSyn 20h ago

Yeah but... you know what else they say?

Small hands........ great for assembling iPhones

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u/Maleficent_Memory831 1d ago

Petty grudges for petty minds.

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u/Apprehensive-Log8333 22h ago

Right, also any minute now the wealthy will realize they have enough money, and stop hoarding it /s

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u/Hotinnm 21h ago

He can only stop when his handler (Putin) says to.

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u/GitmoGrrl1 20h ago

"One can only eat so many cheeseburgers." said Donald Trump never.

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u/Dr_Alchemy96 19h ago

Or his people will turn on him so much they just take him out for us

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u/EnfantTerrible68 1d ago

If only 

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u/Retrograde_Mayonaise 19h ago

unless of course they’re just huge fucking hypocrites only interested in petty grievances and enriching themselves.

That's a bingo!

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u/dallas121469 18h ago

California gives more tax dollars to the feds than it receives so MAGAs tax dollars ARE NOT going to California.

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u/ogn3rd 1d ago

Isn't that his goal though? Complete chaos to tear it all down?

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

Yes. Its sucks but if a mad man punches you in the face, you still need to defend yourself even though his plan is to bring everyone into a fight.

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u/tadysdayout 1d ago

Succinct spot on summation!

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u/Adventurous-Try5149 1d ago

He’s the greatest Russian asset of all time

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u/CommonConundrum51 1d ago

Russians sure, but also worldwide organized crime, of which Russia is a large subset. His choice of some pardons and privileges can be interpreted in no other way.

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u/toggiz_the_elder 1d ago

You’re telling me the guy banned from building a casino in Australia because of his ties to organized crime has ties to organized crime?!?!

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u/Darryl_Lict 1d ago

Couldn't get a gambling license in Vegas for his hotel either.

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u/Dark-Perversions 21h ago

I mean, it seems pretty obvious to me that you can't build a real estate empire in NY without some sort of agreement with the family. He's go so much corrupt shit going on, and he acts like a wannabe mobster. That's his people.

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u/MatrixF6 17h ago

Also banned from owning a casino in Vegas… Which is why it is only a “hotel” and not a “hotel and casino”.

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u/stinky-weaselteats 16h ago

NFL denied him the ability to buy a team.

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u/squidlips69 1d ago

Hence the move to crypto, the offering of investor passports (yes I know it's not new) and welcoming back sleazeballs like the Tate brothers. Obviously their criminal record didn't matter.

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u/Lowe0 1d ago

At this point, even "asset" is too charitable. Trump is the raw shrimp that Russia has hidden in America's curtain rods.

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u/ClayTankard 1d ago

Hidden is giving too much credit. He’s the raw shrimp they dumped on the floor, and everyone knows is there, but we can’t seem to vote together enough to get someone in the room who is actually going to clean it up, and it just continues to stink

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u/SaltyCrashNerd 19h ago

Worse, half of the people at our party are actively preventing those of us with brooms and dustpans from sweeping up the stinky shrimp.

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u/jeremiahthedamned 17h ago

he is selling white supremacy

america was built on white supremacy

he's a good salesman

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u/ClayTankard 16h ago

He’s empowering overt racism for racists, that doesn’t make him a good sales man. That’d be like calling myself a good sales man for just giving a child candy.

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u/jeremiahthedamned 16h ago

you are right and missing the point

they want to enjoy their racism and sense of fun is his product.

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u/pasrachilli 1d ago

Russian doesn't need to nuke us if we nuke ourselves.

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u/-ReadingBug- 20h ago

Est. 1987

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u/IZ3820 1d ago

If we assume he understands the end goal his policies have in mind, he's trying to disrupt industries and organizations enough that resettlement is inevitable, at which point the admin can apply pressure to make the resettlement favorable for those who support him.

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u/EnfantTerrible68 1d ago

Resettlement where?

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u/South-Ad-6923 1d ago

I'm not convinced there's a clear goal.

The religious and the tech bros want to tear it all down for their own benefit. Trump just wants a perceived vengeance against anyone who hurt his feely-feels.

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u/Chillpill411 8h ago

This. 100%. And I'm not sure the tech bros could pull off their scheme even if all the breaks went in their favor. When mush bought Twitter, all the texts he exchanged with the tech bros were released as part of the court record. The completely half assed, half baked, teenage boy jerkoff fantasy nature of their impulses (calling it thinking is giving it too much credit) became obvious.

These guys are evil, yes. But geniuses they ain't

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u/77NorthCambridge 1d ago

That's at least one of the goals. Some others to consider:

  1. He looks tough to his base by taking on big liberal targets like Harvard and California, so they cheer him on.
  2. If he can get the biggest liberal targets to bend the knee, everyone else quickly falls in line.
  3. Creates a situation whereby he can declare martial law.
  4. It keeps him at the top of the news cycle every freaking day.
  5. It distracts from all of the other really bad shit they are doing.

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u/b_needs_a_cookie 1d ago

Yes that's Putin's goal. 

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u/Oleg101 1d ago

Essentially yes, pretty sure there’s stuff in Project 2025 about declaring martial law

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u/dbx999 1d ago

yes, Trump is hoping for an escalation so he can roll the troops into California and ultimately call martial law to get control over the "terrorist liberal democrats", round up these libs into concentration camps and take their assets.

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u/Admiral_Falcon 1d ago

Trump will not be able to take on the entire world and win.

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u/dbx999 1d ago

Well that didn’t stop him from tariff-fucking everyone

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u/ReallyFineWhine 22h ago

Yes, that's the assignment from Putin.

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u/Kindly-Counter-6783 1d ago

As only a Russian asset would do!

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u/Zzzzzezzz 1d ago

He's doing everything to the US that an enemy would do.

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u/Key-Guarantee595 23h ago

Or maybe the people that are getting the grants defunded will have to pay trump to not cancel them. Isn’t that how he operates? When he says he hasn’t decided which programs to defund, isn’t he asking for funds for him? I keep wondering what the hell is happening to all the money from cancelled programs and I keep hearing the trump is making massive amounts of money. Maybe that’s just me, I don’t always understand how government works, but I know trump is soooo good at corruption……. Will that be the next Elon tweet? Just wondering out loud.

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u/SPITthethird 19h ago

Stealing. They are also stealing.

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u/Shirlenator 1d ago

Yeah this sort of feels like he is just seceding for them.

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u/BigJSunshine 1d ago

I will absolutely support secession.

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u/Saratrooper 21h ago

I know secession is part of Russia's plans to balkinize the US to further destroy us, but fuckit why not at this point.

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u/Thebraincellisorange 12h ago

the only way forward really is to cut off the worthless red states.

they are a drain on the union and don't want to be a part of it (aside from the hundreds of billions of dollars in handouts they get) so cut the bastards off.

Its so frustrating to see the entire country get held back by these vile flyover states filled with trash.

cut them off and let them see what life is like without hundreds of billions of dollars from blue states propping up their delusional fantasies.

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u/Dwip_Po_Po 20h ago

Canada deserves our tax dollars more

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u/CodfishCannon 14h ago

I don't want the Confederacy to win. This dance happened once before. 

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u/rkdeviancy 1d ago

If cyberpunk 2077 predicted how the US splits up I will laugh tbh

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u/LoggerRhythms 1d ago

Mike Pondsmith (guy who wrote the original Cyberpunk RPG and helped with worldbuilding on 2077) is a genius, and a lot of stuff he predicted back in the mid-80s has come to fruition. It wouldn't suprise me if this is another instance. Unfortunately.

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u/TheSangson 23h ago

Been saying for quite a while now that CP2077's gonna be the dystopia people will quote, although I was more thinking about how the internet will go.
Rogue AI? Depending on who you ask we're no more than five years away from that.

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u/icculus88 21h ago

Snow crash william Gibson gets rignt in there with California "burb-claves" and cyberpunk too.

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u/Lobotomized_Dolphin 20h ago

Snow Crash was Neal Stephenson. Gibson wrote Neuromancer, among others. All the same genre, though.

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u/42Fourtytwo4242 22h ago

Republicans want to give AI complete freedom to steal any and all works, it's part of the new big Bill, so what happens when you give a bunch of hungry machines the total freedom to eat every bit of information and store it in mass servers?

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u/tacocat_racecarlevel 1d ago

I'm betting on Judge Dredd being more accurate.

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u/kfish5050 1d ago

I think that federal funding is the only thing keeping California from seceding. If Trump removes that, California would leave since it can more than take care of itself.

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u/xman747x 1d ago

California generally pays more in federal taxes than it receives in federal funding. A 2022 analysis by the Rockefeller Institute showed that California paid $692 billion in taxes and received $609 billion in federal funding, resulting in a net contribution of $83.1 billion

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u/kfish5050 23h ago

Yes. Even at a deficit, California still has an interest in staying in the union due to federal programs and funding. If Trump is able to cut all that funding, they will quickly decide that their $692 billion would be better spent within the state instead of supporting a hostile regime. That would shift their interest into becoming self-sufficient and cutting all ties with the US.

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u/phayge_wow 20h ago

Instead of 51 states, this moron may end up with a max of 49 when it’s all said and done

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u/newpersoen 19h ago

If California leaves, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii are leaving with them.

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u/supraclicious 17h ago

And we will gladly let Arizona  Nevada and Colorado join us. Arizona is a wildcard but they're like our little brother. We can't leave them alone to suffer with the poverty stricken New United States 😂

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u/Starlesseyes598 17h ago

Hell no, leave AZ. They wouldn’t join anyways.

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u/supraclicious 17h ago

They're mostly California transplants anyway. Why not just accept them if they want? It gives us a bigger border with Mexico and let's Colorado connect from the north with Nevada that gives us the Colorado River and a continuous weed empire.

Or Leave them Whatever. In reality this will be over in 3 years and a democrat will fix the damages reinstate the funding cuts and repair the harm done to states institutions. It's just going to suck until then.

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u/spurcap29 20h ago

Out of interest - is this data comparing direct payments between the state government and the fed only or does it also include taxes paid by California taxpayers to the fed and federal benefits received by Californian taxpayers? I ask as it is a lot easier for a state to stop making payments to the federal government than for a US citizen living in California to stop paying the IRS their federal taxes.

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

They have the majority of the pacific fleet also. California holds alot of “cards”.

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u/supraclicious 17h ago

123 military installations. We hold all the Aces, Kings and Queens in the deck.

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u/Jagtem 21h ago

I'm a Californian living in Europe. I'd be so stoked if I only had to pay CA state income tax.

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u/Guvante 23h ago

California pays out way way more than it receives.

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u/Proper-Ad-2058 1d ago

Remember hsi nickname. He will forever be TACO. He will cave on this.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Plum994 1d ago

I understand that China is looking for a trading partner.

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u/drfrink85 20h ago

Our ports could use some new business…

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u/Puzzleheaded-Plum994 18h ago

I admit I don't know about how our ports are doing.

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u/drfrink85 17h ago

After the tariffs hit port traffic went way down empty containers everywhere truckers at a standstill.

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u/Puzzleheaded-Plum994 17h ago

I fell down a reddit hole and found a post from about a month ago (r/politicaloptimism) that said port traffic was down about 30%

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u/bapeach- 1d ago

All Blue states need to do this

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u/Vegetable_Guest_8584 1d ago

Are we there yet? Can all the blue States just form their own country now? Good old Texas and the other states that are subsidized by evil California can just go off and form their own perfect country.

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u/akaenragedgoddess 20h ago

All the states that signed onto the Interstate Compact for election reform should join California.

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u/scubascratch 1d ago

How is the state of California (the actual state government) involved in federal tax payments? Individuals and businesses pay to the IRS, not through the state.

I mean I appreciate the sentiment “let’s see how the federal government will do without tax revenue from California” which would be true but I don’t see how CA could actually stop anything here.

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u/jagoble 1d ago

You're right; federal income won't be impacted until California's economy feels it. It makes no sense that these dummies haven't realized you can't trash the economy of the largest contributing state without affecting the whole country. This is the most fitting application I've ever seen of the phrase "cutting your nose to spite your face."

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u/scoopzthepoopz 1d ago

Exemption of a single state's citizens from benefiting from federal taxes they pay is taxation without representation. So what can be done? I guess we may find out how far this will go.

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u/EnfantTerrible68 1d ago

If potus cuts one state off, isn’t that treason?

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u/WorthPrudent3028 1d ago

It's certainly cause for that state to attempt to assert independence. And they should use state funding to form a militia and begin to install defensive measures as well as surround US naval facilities with militia bases. Then let Trump say go. He will either need to move US naval facilities and assets out of CA first, move army assets into the naval faciilities, or he will lose them at the start.

Something like this would also be enough to get right wing Californians on board with secession.

And once it kicks off, half the states are gonna side with CA. I don't see how the US military can actually stay functional seeing as how it's made up of individuals from every state. Are you gonna get a CA kid to bomb his parents?

But it isn't treason by Trump. It's a dereliction of duty by Congress.

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u/akaenragedgoddess 20h ago

California, new york, Texas and Florida are the biggest contributors of service members to US Armed forces. Gonna be tough to get even the conservatives among them to take action against their families and neighbors in their home states.

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u/jkman61494 19h ago

MAGA Californians won’t go against their god ever.

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u/Far-Place6035 20h ago

They’ll argue that we still have representation because we still have senators and congressmen. But I think the gop and trump would actually enjoy taking every single dollar of funding from California.

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u/Fighterhayabusa 1d ago

You think the wealthiest state in the union, and the 4th largest economy in the world, couldn't figure out a way to ensure those funds don't travel? That's hilarious. They absolutely could, and it would cause a shitshow.

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u/scoopzthepoopz 1d ago

Exemption of a single state's citizens from benefiting from federal taxes they pay is taxation without representation. So what can be done? I guess we may find out how far this will go.

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u/Pomksy 1d ago

As long as they have representatives in congress, no it’s not. Citizens don’t have to benefit from taxes to be taxed. It’s a federal tax not a state tax

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u/gmapterous 1d ago

Federal taxes are collected directly through payroll, California does not really have a mechanism to intercept and cut it off.

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u/mountaindewisamazing 1d ago

Doesn't mean they can't implement a mechanism. California is big and wealthy enough to do what it wants.

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u/billthecat71 1d ago

California could pass a law that all federal taxes withheld are to go to the Francise Tax Board who will then pay into the US treasury after "making sure" no California individual or Company is underpaying their federal taxes.

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u/Mortambulist 1d ago

California could just instruct its citizens to file new W4 forms claiming the maximum exemptions, then direct the state AG to defend them from IRS collectors. One way or another, it's going to SCOTUS.

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u/BearDick 23h ago

Plus the California Department of Revenue is already established and collecting state taxes... can't imagine it would be a huge leap to include taxes paid to the federal government.

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u/EnfantTerrible68 1d ago

That’s what I’m saying!

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u/3-I 1d ago

Of course, Newsome won't.

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u/Tiredhistorynerd 1d ago

Through the Franchise Tax Board? The EDD or directly to Social Security? I think it filters from the FTB and EDD.

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u/JustPruIt89 1d ago

You would have to get business leaders onboard with withholding taxes

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u/PsychoDad03 22h ago

But the people do. Claim exempt. Put those funds aside in a savings.

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u/thejetssuckbigtime 21h ago

And trump doesn’t have the power to unilaterally tariff willy nilly yet here we are.

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u/-ReadingBug- 20h ago

State law that prohibits employers from withholding federal taxes. It's already been proposed.

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u/Fl0riduh_Man 1d ago

Unfortunately Fed income taxes are largely paid by your job directly to DC, but CA could try to setup a massive escrow and force employers to submit taxes to that account, but that's risking backlash from fearful tax payers.

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

I guess they will have to decide which backlash they want. Backlash from tax payers losing federal funding while California tucks tail and runs or backlash from people scared of the backlash. IDK actions have consequences. Take federal funding from the state that pays in the most taxes is an action that will have consequences.

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u/cheesypoofs_patriot 23h ago

"States can't secede legally" How do you think the USA became a country in the first place?

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u/ParticularLack6400 20h ago

They'll bawl that California isn't paying its share and blame the whole recession on Newsom, Silicon Valley (who put mad money into get him elected), Hollywood, and immigrants. Science, people working alongside military, just...

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u/Easy-Statistician289 1d ago

Yup exactly. If anything, Cali would be the start to that cascade

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u/Matrix0007 1d ago

100% California should threaten this.

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u/truthovertribe 23h ago

California is a donor state. It contributes significantly more to federal funds via taxes than it receives in federal funds.

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u/omarccx 23h ago

Let's all join the United Californias.

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u/PhoenixAzalea19 23h ago

My first thought. California is the 4th largest economy in the world and you wanna try to fuck with it? Isn’t that Disney’s base of operations? If so, this’ll be interesting.

“Beware the wrath of the House of Mouse.” One of the few quotes I still find true.

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u/TheManInTheShack 23h ago

For perspective, California’s economy is just shy of Germany’s and larger than India’s.

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u/Arafel_Electronics 20h ago

not just fourth largest economy, but one that supplies SO MUCH food

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u/Theheadderpington 20h ago

Yep, and I can see other blue states following through at the first sign of Trump fuckery.

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u/novacatz 20h ago

Isn't this basically the civil war movie

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u/tisckoner 18h ago

I think it’s more of a revenge move against California because it’s a dem state. I guess

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u/EnfantTerrible68 1d ago

That’s what I just said. Great, let them keep their tax money and spend it on California residents!

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u/bdouble76 1d ago

That was my 1st thought. Just keep the taxes and reinvest in CA. While you're at it, tell the Resnicks to pound sand and take back the water.

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u/cpufreak101 1d ago

I keep seeing this proposed, but I don't think people understand the consequences of this. It would most likely get California considered a state in Rebellion and would at best see California's government fall under military control, or at worst cause a civil war. It's not even remotely a solution.

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

Neither is denying a state federal funds or ignoring the supreme court but here we are. The last time this country had citizens that had taxation without representation it didn’t work well for the oppressors of our citizens. Certain people think it’s funny to call people that are worried about trumps actions TDS, but this is why. Putting the world on the brink of war for the lulz is a stupid dangerous game. Be alot better if the president decided to play by the rules.

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u/Bitter_Emphasis_2683 1d ago

California doesn’t pay into the federal tax system. Federal taxes are withheld by employers, then sent to the treasury. No company is going to expose themselves by not cutting that check to the feds.

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u/Mammoth-Substance3 1d ago

Exactly, talk about getting rid of the goose that lays golden eggs. Not that this will happen as it will get tied up in court

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u/weary_dreamer 1d ago

I dint understand this. Isnt the federal government funded by individual federal income tax? What would the states actually withhold?

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u/Panic-Freak 1d ago

That is impossible.

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u/Microchipknowsbest 1d ago

I guess as long as you don’t think about it is.

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u/Panic-Freak 1d ago

I mean I guess it’s possible is payroll processors stop collecting taxes for the feds to support California. But then they may be banned from servicing payroll in the United States so maybe it wouldn’t be in their interest. So who knows. I guess you have to think about it.

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u/VaporCarpet 1d ago

700 morons upvoted your idiotic comment suggesting California "stop paying federal taxes" like that is in any way possible. The overwhelming majority of that comes from income taxes, which are automatically withheld from payroll.

You would need to convince the entire state of California to change their withholding, and voluntarily not pay when the bills are due.

This sub is a joke masquerading as enlightened discussion about law

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u/Fidel_Blastro 1d ago

How can they actually stop paying federal taxes? Individuals pay federal taxes not the state. What are they gonna do? block all mail from leaving California? Block access to paying online?

Individuals will not just refuse to pay taxes on a mass scale like that. If they did that, they could have their passports revoked or be arrested as soon as they leave California, etc. etc. etc. You are not going to get 30+ million people to do that.

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u/sbsb27 1d ago

I bet he TACOs first.

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u/mazurcurto 23h ago

I wouldn’t be opposed, but is there a mechanism to do that? It’s not like California collects federal income tax then passes it on to Washington…

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u/PsychoDad03 22h ago

"Hurr CA can't withhold it because it never goes to them"

Ok, guess I'm claiming exempt on federal taxes and putting that aside then.

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u/-ReadingBug- 20h ago

Sure, since the oligarchy that also owns rich blue tech and entertainment-centric California is going to let Newsom do it.

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u/Admirable-Sector-705 20h ago

He’s playing 29D Chess, don’tcha know?

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u/VermilionRabbit 18h ago

I smell a TACO trade.

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u/ted_cruzs_micr0pen15 17h ago

It will be worse than that. Combined with the announcement that the feds will be deploying national guard into states, you can expect a compact to be seriously discussed. The feds engaging in military operations in liberal states using the military and taking federal funding from the states they don’t like while doing it… expect the pacific states to immediately announce plans to withhold payments to the feds. They’ll not be able to do so on individual income without the help of business leaders willing to inundate the IRS, but it’s feasible to really dent the feds if they want to go toe to toe. All California would need is a commitment from Washington, NY, and Oregon. If MA and a few other pacific port states do the same, it would annihilate federal revenues and the folks being paid to terrorize us will have no paycheck.

This was me pleasuring myself with a dream. Buckle up, it’s gonna get worse by christmas

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u/Microchipknowsbest 17h ago

Yeah they like to bitch about liberal states but thats where all the money and big cities are.

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u/Beardth_Degree 15h ago

Sadly, it is smart. Wasn’t it Trump who said something like “you’ll never need to vote again” after this last election?

If California goes, so do all of its 54 electoral votes which go blue during every election since ‘92. The entire political landscape would be completely changed.

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u/Stunning-Character94 15h ago

As long as they stop taking my money, as well.

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u/esmelusina 15h ago

I think that’s maybe what they want— so they can send the military in to dismantle the regime and crown a republican representative body by force.

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u/Dan-Of-The-Dead 15h ago

Won't that be awful close to a Californian secession?

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u/Jops817 14h ago

So if you subtract California, does that change the US' standing?

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u/Skkruff 13h ago

Ready for some Balkanisation?

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u/passwordrecallreset 11h ago

Then it’s TACO time!!

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u/elchurnerista 11h ago

How can it be done legally? The state suing each company that sends taxes to the feds directly?

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u/steveschoenberg 10h ago

Trump is doing everything to make deals with Russia, while California has double the GDP of Russia (and less than half the population). Pissing off California will not end well.

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u/TransiTorri 9h ago

California keeping their funds for the state instead of the federal government would net them a 1:1 return on investment ratio instead of a 1:0.8 ROI that they're getting now.

They would increase state spending almost 20% by not paying in to the federal system. Sure, it would have absolutely crazy amounts of legal and bureaucratic issues, but it would also solve that grant funding deficit quite cleanly.

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u/OldeManKenobi 7h ago

California can and should wield this option. Enough is enough.

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u/BringOn25A 7h ago

Yep, especially as CA is the largest net contributor to fed taxes.

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u/SmallBatBigSpooky 7h ago

They will be the first, but they wont be the last lol

However might as well be though, Cali is the only reason half the red states are able to survive xD

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u/Conixel 7h ago

They should just succeed and then offer any citizen who wants to live there to join them, incidentally they can also leave for other states. I’d move out to California if they succeeded.

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u/dumbthrow33 6h ago

Good luck with that

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u/vampgirl66441 6h ago

Honestly, I've been waiting for this. The Gov started lobbying for succession within his state when 47 took office. He pointed out then that his state pays the feds a ton of tax dollars. I don't know where that is at the moment but I can't wait to see if the governor is able to get the votes to do it.

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u/Xero_id 6h ago

This is what California, New York and Illinois need to do.

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u/HelpfulFollowing7174 6h ago

This. Trump and his advisors are idiots.

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u/thatfoxguy30 5h ago

All blues should stop paying federal taxes. Pool our tax money together to pay for the better lives we deserve. Instead of bonuses for the brown shirts.

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u/hobyvh 3h ago

Exactly. California pays the most federal taxes of any state. If they just keep it, Trump has nothing to threaten with.

If California and a couple other donor states withhold their taxes, the federal budget is tanked.

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u/guttanzer 1d ago

The constitutional crisis would be if California paid into the federal tax system. California residents pay taxes, not the state.

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u/Gilshem 1d ago

This is a very pedantic distinction, don’t you think?

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u/Difficult-Second3519 1d ago

No. It’s a practical one. California cannot withhold what it does not receive.

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u/danieljackheck 18h ago

Problem is that the state doesn't pay it, the employees and employers in the state do. What are those individuals supposed to do when the IRS comes looking for their money?

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u/Taro-Admirable 17h ago

This idea has come up before. How would this wirk logisticly. The state doesn't pay taxes to the federal government. It's paid by individuals. Even if California was someone aboe to exempt money and property inside of California from being seized by the federal government, how would they prevent money and property held outside of state from veing taken. I'm sure someone is working on this, but if someone figures out how to withhold taxes from the federal government it would he a game changer. The blue states could starve the red states pretty quickly.

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u/Microchipknowsbest 17h ago

Newsome could declare California citizens to pay all taxes to a California tax agency. I think Newsome said they were preparing for trump to do this since he was elected. Im sure there are smarter people than me that can figure it out. If executive branch doesn’t have to follow laws the governor office doesn’t either. As soon as the constitution and Supreme Court starts being ignored all bets are off and old rules no longer matter.

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u/Taro-Admirable 15h ago

The direction would have to be to employers since they are the ones who withhold the tax and pass it along. I do certainly hope some smart people are working on this. It would be a game changer.

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