Gavin’s Limpy Bluster

Sunday, August 24, 2025

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom took to Instagram this week with his trademark smirk and a warning shot at Washington: maybe California should withhold resources from the feds. His boast rested on a well-worn talking point—that California pays more into the federal treasury than it gets back. Newsom postured as if this made him the master of the federal purse. In his mind, California can flip the switch and bring Washington to its knees.