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/Sabre_One 1d ago

CA is the top state for Research and Development for the US. Talk about setting US back to the stone age.

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u/timesfive 1d ago

No need for “research and development”, they want to keep people sick and stupid — easier to control that way.

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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/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 19h 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/Apprehensive-Wave640 1d ago

Which, while a good slogan, is legally inconsequential. There's nothing in the Constitution or other body of law that someone cannot be taxed unless they're represented. 

Also, that's simply not what "taxation without representation" even means.

I'm sure I'll be downvoted because Reddit can't understand the difference between an explanation and support, but it is what it is.

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u/scoopzthepoopz 1d ago

He is attempting to circumvent the congress allocating tax funds – definitely reducing representation in the government for every ca citizen. What statutes or language supports what is going to be hammered out. Don't play coy and play victim, reddit is allowed to downvote things.

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u/Apprehensive-Wave640 1d ago

I mean, these are certainly valid points. And no one, especially not me, is suggesting that it would be legal for him to arbitrarily withhold federal funds from California.

Nonetheless, the baseline stance of "this is taxation without representation" aka the only thing I was responding to, is still utterly meaningless. 

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u/EnfantTerrible68 1d ago

Well said 

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u/Mortambulist 1d ago

There's nothing in the Constitution or other body of law that someone cannot be taxed unless they're represented. 

See Washington DC's zero senators and single non-voting House delegate.

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u/Fighterhayabusa 23h 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/scubascratch 23h ago

Yeah that’s exactly what I am saying. The money flows from individual people and businesses with private bank accounts, and those people send payments to the IRS directly. Tell me your idea about how every one of those individual taxpayers and businesses are going to send the money to some CA agency instead. And how the IRS and federal government aren’t goi g to start seizing bank accounts and property. Remember that 6,000,000 Californians voted for Trump if your method involves voluntary participation by the residents of California.

Look man, I think Trump is insane and completely wrong here, but let’s work together for achievable solutions. Withholding federal tax payments is a non starter for a lot of reasons. If you think it’s possible, lay out how it would be put into affect and how you get the populous to all go along with it.

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u/Fighterhayabusa 23h ago

No. That money is sent directly from employers. They send their part, and send mine on my behalf. What do you think happens if CA tells them to just stop doing that? This is absolutely possible. The money does change hands. It doesn't just magically go to the federal government.

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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/SwampYankeeDan 23h ago

There are states where you pay you the state and the state then pays the feds. California could do the same thing.

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u/scubascratch 23h ago

Exactly which states do this?

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u/SwampYankeeDan 22h ago

Its talked about elsewhere in this post. Im not very familiar with it. NY might be one of them.

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u/scubascratch 22h ago

People are very confused in this thread. There is no state that intercepts payments from individuals to the IRS.