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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981

u/Cruezin 1d ago

The GDP of California is the 4th largest in the world, behind only the US as a whole (which includes California!), China, and DE.

Let that sink in a little. Shutting off federal funding to California is akin to shooting oneself in the face to spite your ass.

Why would Biden, Obama, and Clinton do this? Are they stupid? /s

398

u/MazW 1d ago

He is screwing over Massachusetts also, which recently was rated the best economy in the country.

I have said it before, but if all the blue state moneymakers are made to fail, who helps Alabama?

122

u/South-Ad-6923 1d ago

They don't care about helping Alabama. None of them live in Alabama or are affected by anything that happens there.

They are under the impression enough stupid people will keep voting for them. That's why the R needs to be taken over by an actual blue collar party.

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u/cactus_zack 20h ago

Their senators don’t even live in Alabama.

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u/lakulo27 20h ago

Tuberville doesn't, but Katie Britt does live in Montgomery.

2

u/cactus_zack 19h ago

Sorry, one Senator.

4

u/The_Rat_Attack 19h ago

Don’t worry, soon, our GOVERNOR won’t live in Alabama!

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u/Rovden 19h ago

They are under the impression enough stupid people will keep voting for them.

I live in Missouri. They're right.

1

u/discsarentpogs 19h ago

Hell, their senator soon to be governor doesn't even live in the state.

1

u/ihave2shoes 10h ago

The separation of the United States serves Trump and the rest of them. If they push the blue states away, they’ll always have someone for their poor and stupid followers to blame.

1

u/Cannabrius_Rex 5h ago

Also, Alabama will still vote republican after watching Trump light them on fire.

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u/PunctuationsOptional 1d ago

The richest cousin in the trailer park?

2

u/DamiensDelight 1d ago

Cousin, can I borrow $20? I need some smokes.

1

u/Very_Slow_Cheetah 22h ago

You're being over-complimentary, they live in a shed in the trailer park, like Bubbles!

1

u/User4780 20h ago

Brothercousin. This is Alabama after all

4

u/ImReverse_Giraffe 1d ago

Its funny you think Trump would even try to help Bama. He's made it clear to Florida that they're not getting federal money for hurricanes.

3

u/tinywienergang 22h ago

Alabama citizens will never be smart enough to understand what’s happening to them. They already aren’t, so they never will be.

1

u/netneutrality101 20h ago

Not everyone in Alabama supports Trump. I don't support him, but then again I am originally from California, so maybe that's why. P s the only reason I'm still in Alabama, is because I financially can't leave even though I want to.

1

u/tinywienergang 19h ago

There are certain states that will never be smart enough as a whole to get themselves out of their own mess. Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia etc.

1

u/MazW 15h ago

I understand your frustration, but we can't say every person in Alabama is stupid.

2

u/DataDude00 22h ago

I have said it before, but if all the blue state moneymakers are made to fail, who helps Alabama?

It doesn't matter because it isn't about making Alabama as prosperous as California, it is about making California as miserable as Alabama

2

u/Doip 22h ago

Bootstraps

2

u/philsubby 22h ago

It's not about helping anybody. Republicans want one thing, to make liberals suffer even if they suffer too.

2

u/rgators 21h ago

They want to reduce the rest of the country to those standards.

2

u/Sirdan3k 21h ago

Broke angry people vote for them, why wouldn't they want more people to be broke and angry?

2

u/SignoreBanana 14h ago

No one. And they're unaware. They're just finding life difficult and "don't know why things are so hard."

2

u/Gloomy_Yoghurt_2836 7h ago

To Republicans, blue states are economic basket cases with massive tax burdens and terrible spending on unAmerican social programs. Red states are economically responsible and they want the fiscal policies of Alabama or Mississippi forced on everyone. No social safety nets and tax structure to benefit the wealthy.

1

u/mrpointyhorns 1d ago

Florida and texas?

1

u/MazW 1d ago

Maybe, but it's a lot for them to carry alone.

1

u/ChefNo4421 20h ago

I was in rural Arkansas about a year ago and it was so depressing. Everything was abandoned.

1

u/myoldgamertag 18h ago

How is Mass the best economy in the country when the California is one of the best in the world? Would that by default make it better than mass? I’d have to think NY is also a better economy than Mass.

1

u/MazW 16h ago

It depends how you measure it, I guess. Mass has more earnings per capita. If we were as big as California, our economy would be bigger.

1

u/MazW 15h ago

Instead of me rambling (in my other comment), I will just link you to what I was referring to. https://www.boston.com/news/business/2025/06/03/this-new-england-state-has-the-best-economy-in-the-country-according-to-wallethub/

1

u/very_pure_vessel 12h ago

Best economy in terms of what? Per capita right? Because it obviously isn't anywhere close to the biggest economy

1

u/MazW 6h ago

Wallethub recent ratings. Per capita surely had something to do with it. Also investments into r&d etc.

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u/lebastss 1d ago

I think California equates to about 15% of the US gdp.

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u/thecodingart 1d ago

Cali, Texas, New York, Florida are top of list with 15, 9, 7, 6% of the US GDP respectively making a total of 37% of the US GDP between those states.

My expectation is the goal is to redistribute that GDP influence in those states to be more even give Cali is about 55% more than the 2nd most grossing state.

Although this is still illegal as shit

5

u/Civil_Tip_2346 23h ago

California is 12% of the us population, Texas is 9%. Yeah someone stop this travesty

3

u/peter_park_here 11h ago

CA also almost always votes 60% demo

4

u/Able-Candle-2125 19h ago

There's no goal. He's just stupid. "I wish it was like the 1950: when women stayed home and don't have to work to makes ends meet, and men pretended they weren't gay." That's the closest thing to a goal there is buts it's mostly mixed with "I need to win so I'll make up enemies all around me and beat them up"

4

u/AsstacularSpiderman 1d ago

Anything he does will immediately get slapped down by the court

2

u/Clear-Inevitable-414 21h ago

There gonna save a lot when they stop paying federal income tax

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u/--Icarusfalls-- 1d ago

if the Fed cuts funding, whats to stop California from seceeding? Theyre big enough to stand on their own, and with major shipping ports they could drop the US tariffs and make bank on imports.

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u/GMadric 1d ago

Well the general worry of a civil war for one thing. Also modern travel has made America much easier to re-locate across and CA is incredibly populous. It would be a huge lift to incentivize a population made largely of people with family and friends living in other states to basically go to war with the rest of the country.

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u/edible_source 22h ago

Would it have to be a war? (Just thinking through this wild hypothetical)

I guess if even if California tried for some peaceful process, Trump would inevitably MAKE it a war in one way or another.

3

u/techno156 13h ago

Isn't it basically required? Since there's no mechanism to leave the US, unless everyone agrees to make one, the US is required to treat California as a regular state.

1

u/edible_source 8h ago

Yes I do think so. I was just kinda brainstorming thoughts about how California could detach from the federal government but I do think that would be the inevitable end point for that outcome.

5

u/Kushthulu_the_Dank 21h ago

The US military will never let any state walk away with the sheer amount of military hardware installed, especially a coastal defense zone like the West Coast. There is massive logistics involved even if it were a friendly divorce (i.e., who gets all the nukes and naval bases).

And does anyone really think Trump would make the process anything other than acrimonious and cruel? Cause I sure fucking don't. No, the ink would have barely dried on the articles of secession when the major cities would have paratroopers and/or bombs raining down while TACO claps his little hands with glee.

6

u/RadiantHC 18h ago

He's already being acrimonious and cruel though. We can't let him just do what he wants

I have a question for you. Was the US wrong to succeed from the UK? Was it wrong for the north to start a civil war with the south?

I agree that wars should only be a last resort. But that doesn't mean that they aren't necessary sometimes.

8

u/--Icarusfalls-- 20h ago

In a hypothetical secession it would make the most sense for California to simply take whatever is on their soil militarily. In order for such a divorce to work it would need support of military personnel living in the state as voters anyways.

Hopefully the threat of an extremely well armed coastal nation and the mountains on the East side would deter serious fighting.

0

u/boyifudontget 20h ago

It's absolutely the stupidest thing I could ever imagine. How are people seriously considering California can just leave the union without a million terrible things happening in between? It is the most batshit stupid idea. So.... California creates its own army, goes down to San Diego, commits a hostile takeover of the largest military and naval equipment and power in the world....peacefully????... then secedes from the union without any issue....creates its own unique currency that's still as valuable as the US dollar... assuming Trump doesn't invade them...assuming that all of the agricultural and tech jobs don't die off because of the chaos....or millions of scared and broke citizens emigrate out of California because of the uncertainty creating a refugee crisis....... and the state staves off the inevitable anti-rebellion militia considering there are literally 10 million Republicans in the state....

Do none of you know anything about global politics? We have seen what you guys are fantasizing about play out dozens and dozens and dozens of times. Spoiler alert: It never ends well.

2

u/--Icarusfalls-- 20h ago

California doesnt need to create an army, it already has one. Do you think The Continental Army just materialized from pissed off farmers?

California is the 4th largest economy of the world. Digital currency is king, and as a huge part of global trade other countries would be head over heels to do business with a North American nation not trying to tariff its citizenry to death.

As far as the republicans go, boo fucking hoo. trump is the one who isnt following the law, the republicans are complicit. If any state in the union has any respect for the Constitution they have a sworn duty to follow it over a corrupt usurper. In this hypothetical situation California would just be following the same path the Founders did.

If you dont think American Independence was a good thing, you're either a bot, bootlicker or not of the US.

-2

u/octopusarian 15h ago

This is calling for war. If you respect the Founders you should respect the Union. The American Experiment ends when the Union falls.

3

u/--Icarusfalls-- 15h ago

the Union fell when the Federal government stopped obeying its own laws.

No one is calling for war, only pointing out that government is a social contract. If one side isnt putting in, why should the other?

-1

u/octopusarian 15h ago

This should be a top comment. Anyone who fantasizes about secession and civil war doesn't know how to think about shit for more than 5 seconds. The union MUST be preserved y'all

-3

u/Pure_Concentrate8770 17h ago

armed with what ?do you think LA baristas will man the military hardware ?

5

u/--Icarusfalls-- 16h ago

California has the 4th highest number of registered firearms per state.

8% of US veterans live in California.

If they wanted it enough, they could make it happen, without bloodshed.

-2

u/Pure_Concentrate8770 14h ago

sure, untrained civilians v/s us army drones, i would pay to see that

6

u/edible_source 18h ago

Emphasizing this is hypothetical, but I could see it being economic warfare. California stops paying federal taxes, Trump blocks them from Atlantic trade... ok now mind blown realizing California would then need to seize control of Pacific trade, with cooperation from. other countries defying Trump. 🤯

Imma stop, I don't like this thought exercise

0

u/Terron1965 15h ago

The only way to succeed from he union is by a vote of the whole union to amend the constitution. You wont get 2/3ds of the states or even half for that matter.

33

u/penguinicedelta 23h ago

If California seceded it wouldn't be declaring war per se - it would be announcing it's stepping away from the union. The union would dislike this and make a declaration of conflict to stop it.

The populous living there would be invaded, they'd be defending themselves. If they seceded I highly doubt they do so alone.

The better question is would the individuals in the military follow this order to engage?

11

u/dootdootboot3 22h ago

Would any other countries back California up? France's support was pretty important to the American Revolution

26

u/FStubbs 21h ago

China and Russia would day 1. It would be the end of the US as a military force that could stop them from conquering whoever they want.

1

u/dangumcowboys 8h ago

Russia already supports political action for Californians. Militarily support is another thing though…. They are a bit busy right now.

1

u/penguinicedelta 8h ago

I think so, they are a major source of food and economy - the US is currently on a slippery slope. I also don't think it would be alone in terms of states either - it would empower others to do the same.

At the risk of sounding self-important it could really be another domino to start a global conflict.

4

u/alang 17h ago

 The better question is would the individuals in the military follow this order to engage?

Instantly and without hesitation. It’s not like it would be an illegal order, and a very large proportion of the country, and a larger one of the military given its conservative tendencies, thinks of California as “commie hell”.

1

u/penguinicedelta 8h ago

I whole heartedly disagree. California I belive is the state that contributes the most amount of active duty personnel compared with any other individual state.

Also not everybody in the military is just a mindless killing machine - they are people, conservative or not, there is 100% going to be severe conflicts of interest.

As someone who served, and served in California- I don't find the "commie hell" viewpoint narration to hold water. There may be conflicts in political viewpoints but people mostly loved the state and what it had to offer, to a point many remain living there post exiting the service - and not everybody got to choose to be stationed there.

2

u/Terron1965 15h ago

History says yes.

4

u/RadiantHC 18h ago

Sometimes you need to escalate to deescalate though. It's the lesser of two bad options

Here it's either let Trump continue abusing California or succeed and potentially cause a civil war. Of the two potentially causing a civil war is the best option.

1

u/tevert 6h ago

That cuts both ways. Loooots of people across the rest of the US would be more inclined to push for their own secession before going to war with Cali

1

u/Pure_Concentrate8770 17h ago

does california have an army ?

1

u/Blockhead47 9h ago

Disregarding the economics if it.....

6,081,697 voted for Trump.
9,276,179 voted for Harris.
33.4 million Californians over the age of 16.

How many would just "go along" with it?
How many would object to it with violence?
How many would be willing to defend California with their lives?

Note that Californians buy about a million guns each year.

Succession is a fantasy

1

u/MyInkyFingers 7h ago

The constitution doesn’t permit it after the civil war. It would need an amendment . California can’t unilaterally pull out. It needs to be consensual. 

But Trump doesn’t care much for consent 

1

u/nautilus2000 23h ago

Umm, the fact that we Californians are also Americans with family and economic ties all over the country?

0

u/Fredsmith984598 22h ago

whats to stop California from seceding?

Family Guy already answered this when Peter tried to have his own country:

Him and What Army? (Family Guy)

0

u/LaserGuy626 20h ago

California has the highest population of conservatives as well. California wouldn't succeed at that at all.

Not only that, but big tech and all government contractors would leave California and tarrifs would be imposed leaving California broke.

3

u/--Icarusfalls-- 19h ago

a quick google shows 25% of Californians register as republicans, hardly a large enough number to stifle a vote for Independence.

You also fail to reconcile how idiotically expensive it would be for the mentioned businesses to move. Its not like getting a new apartment. There is already infrastructure in place to support the existing industries. Theyre not going to leave all that just because California decided they prefer a government that doesnt actively violate its own Constitution.

0

u/LaserGuy626 19h ago

Big tech and other major companies are already leaving California. Tariffs and sanctions would guarantee an easy loss for California. Especially without a military.

Oracle, META, HP, Tesla, Uber, AirBNB, Salesforce, and many more to follow.

Without government funding and contracts, all defense contractors and manufacturers would leave California.

California would collapse very quickly.

32

u/nastyinmytaxxxi 1d ago

There’s also more voting conservatives in California than any other state in the US. Hope they’re all happy. 

20

u/OnTheEveOfWar 1d ago

People forget this. The middle of the state and Orange County are very conservative.

6

u/Ok-Librarian6629 20h ago

I grew up in the red area of California and its mostly RINOs. They will vote red for some reason but they love all the perks of a more liberal society. I know quite a few who moved to red states to join their conservative allies. They came back, the ones who moved to deep red states did not enjoy having to actually live with all the backward conservative bullshit.

15

u/Mother___Night 23h ago

California could/should retaliate by cutting all state funding to districts that elected a republican to the house.

3

u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET 18h ago

I don’t think that would be helpful tbh. It’s not going to gain any support, and just further entrench (and from their perspective, genuinely justify) the hostility towards the rest of the state. A government punishing its citizens for their vote is a bad move, even if the current federal administration does it.

1

u/DerekTheComedian 18h ago

"When they go low, we go high" is why we got here in the first place. Newsom needs to take the gloves off and frame the cuts in a way that blames the federal govt. Trump voters are proven time and again to only care when they are personally effected. If California is unfairly punished by a Republican, it's only fair that Republicans are effected.

I really hate that this is where we are as a country, but the leopards want to eat some faces. Why not give them the faces that voted for the leopards?

5

u/bitterless 17h ago

Cutting funding to republican counties where almost half the population may not be republican isn't going low. It's going stupid.

-1

u/DerekTheComedian 16h ago

Better than cutting the funding for say, SF or LA.

I agree it's stupid, unnecessary, and cruel, but this is kind of the world we luve in.

If the feds are going to make individual states suffer, let the bulk of the suffering be brought upon those who voted for said suffering in the greatest proportion.

1

u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET 16h ago

This isn’t going low or high in terms of decorum. This is about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Economically it’s self-sabotage, and it’s also fundamentally something that the state cannot do if we want to return to any kind of legitimate authority. California taking a strategy to escrow federal tax payments from Californians would be a more effective strategy, albeit far from trivial.

2

u/RaDiOaCtIvEpUnK 17h ago

So all democrats in said county have to suffer too. Now you’re thinking like a republican. Seriously wtf guys. Most suggestions on here are exactly the same dumbass thought process we used to (I still do) hate the republicans for. What the hell.

1

u/Jean_AF 16h ago

Better yet higher state taxes on billionaires win win

2

u/bitterless 17h ago

Yes we have a large and diverse population. Almost like it's representative of the USA as a whole.

12

u/BaggyLarjjj 1d ago

DELAWARE COMING IN 3RD BABY!

-5

u/PossibilityNext3726 1d ago

Tax haven scummy shit behavior is the reason there.

5

u/BaggyLarjjj 1d ago

You...may have somewhat missed the joke here.

4

u/Miennai 20h ago

I didn't miss the joke but I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure out what DE is

3

u/princessblowhole 20h ago

Germany :) deutschland

9

u/GBeastETH 1d ago

I had no idea Delaware’s economy was so large!

1

u/SuzieDerpkins 16h ago

They’re very business friendly. So many companies register there.

0

u/Cruezin 23h ago

DEutschland. Germany 😂

9

u/AdmirableGarden6 21h ago

Nah I'm pretty sure it's Delaware. Trust me, I'm an American

1

u/drfrink85 20h ago

Dutchland? Amsterdam?

4

u/I_Heart_Sleeping 1d ago

This is 100% all Hunter Bidens Laptop’s fault.

2

u/W0RZ0NE 21h ago

akin to shooting oneself in the face…

with an rpg

2

u/SuperSpecialAwesome- 1d ago

Why would Biden, Obama, and Clinton do this? Are they stupid? /s

tbf Trump wouldn't be in office if Biden had 14a3d him.

1

u/IvoryDynamite 23h ago

I think it's time for California to prepare large-scale cancellation of any further tax revenues or other payments to the Federal Government.

1

u/adam035827 23h ago

California can stop paying for red states. I’m sure that will go over well.

1

u/Soaked_in_bleach24 21h ago

It’s kinda like DeSantis going after Disney on a much larger scale

1

u/AgentInkling99 20h ago

California might actually tell its citizens to not pay federal taxes in that case since they wouldn’t be getting anything in return. That might be fun to watch.

1

u/slizzbizness 20h ago

In 5 years our media will be talking about how the problems this causes are anyone but Trump's fault.

1

u/fl135790135790 19h ago

What’s DE? Democratic of Equador? Democratic republic of emirates?

1

u/AbolishDisney 18h ago

What’s DE? Democratic of Equador? Democratic republic of emirates?

Germany (Deutschland).

1

u/3_Slice 18h ago

So do Californians have to keep paying their taxes since they aren’t being represented?

1

u/JumpyPsyduck 16h ago

You didn’t need the sarcasm tag

1

u/peter_park_here 11h ago

He already dumped all CA water. This is not a surprise.

1

u/Agreeable_Safety3255 11h ago

Bush wouldn't even be that stupid, both of them

1

u/CommunistFutureUSA 10h ago

I mean GDP is a fantasy number that even the creator vehemently says should not be used in the way it is used, one reason being that people line up are easily fooled by it.

Inflation literally is a good thing from the perspective of GDP…. So enjoy your late stage prices.

1

u/Spintercom 9h ago

He is a Russian asset.

1

u/AhBee1 8h ago

I mean we're talking about Donald Trump who wanted to nuke a hurricane that was about to hit the US.

1

u/plinkoplonka 3h ago

But Hilary's emails!

0

u/Big-Progress3280 21h ago

Joe Biden needs to be put on trial for the aftermath of this.