President Donald Trump has attracted significant attention in recent days after announcing the formation of a nonpartisan $1.78 billion fund to benefit those unfairly targeted by government agents.
Ironically, while some of his rivals have erroneously referred to the project as a “slush fund,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom seems determined to turn it into exactly that.
Here’s what Fox News reported:
Newsom’s proposed plan to implement a 100% tax on Californian recipients of the fund comes as the state faces a roughly $2.9 billion shortfall for the 2027 fiscal budget.
ADVERTISEMENTUnder Newsom’s leadership, California has spent billions of taxpayer dollars on unfinished public works projects, including the state’s high-speed rail project, which carries an estimated cost of $128 billion even though a single track has yet to be laid. Newsom also faced scrutiny in March over an unfinished wildlife crossing bridge in the Golden State that is running $21 million over budget. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy dubbed the project a “bridge to nowhere.”
Since the Justice Department announced the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund last week as part of a lawsuit settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, Democratic members of Congress from New York have proposed legislation to block the fund, while a Connecticut state lawmaker has also pushed to implement a 100% tax on the proceeds.
Newsom’s promise to confiscate all of that cash led to widespread backlash on social media:
The only way this guy gets any money for his stupid socialist programs is through fraud and corruption. All the other money has left the state.
— Matt (@Matt24767711162) May 28, 2026
🚨 INSANITY: WEASEL Gavin Newscum is under fire for wanting to tax 100% of President Trump's DOJ anti-weaponization efforts in California.
This is SPINELESS leadership.
Show up on August 18th to make sure that there is NEVER a "leader" like Gavin Newsom in South Florida. pic.twitter.com/QYHlz7LVua
— Michael Carbonara (@MCarbonaraFL) May 28, 2026
Literally just weaponizing governmental institutions against them again over politics.
-JR
— Proud American Studios (@proudamericanst) May 28, 2026
Here’s what Politico added:
Newsom’s pledge mirrors legislation unveiled earlier this week in New York by Democrat Alex Bores, a state assemblymember and House candidate, that would assess a 100 percent tax against payouts from the fund. Trump announced the fund last week as part of his $10 billion settlement with the DOJ in his lawsuit against the IRS, and Democratic efforts to undercut any payouts are picking up across the country.
Democratic state lawmakers in New York are pushing for a vote by next week to fully tax payouts from the fund. Queens state Sen. Mike Gianaris in an interview said his measure was in the process of being introduced in the Democratic-dominated Legislature.
“There’s widespread, bipartisan agreement that this is baldfaced corruption at its worst and if we have the ability in New York to combat it by ensuring that none of this money benefits anyone in our state’s borders, I’d expect there’d be widespread support for that idea,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENTBores in a text message Wednesday night said he was working on getting his bill put up for a vote next week as well. Time is running short in Albany, where lawmakers are scheduled to end their legislative session late next week and will have a heavy docket of bills to approve.
In New Jersey, a Democratic state lawmaker said he was already working to draft a bill to set up a 100 percent tax on recipients of the funds.
Here’s some additional commentary on Newsom’s remarks:
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