California Governor Gavin Newsom is at it again, trying to have it both ways in spectacular liberal fashion.

The Democrat governor is loudly calling for a federal tax on America’s billionaires, claiming it is time the wealthiest pay their fair share.

Yet, in a twist that only a California politician could manage with a straight face, Newsom is actively opposing a nearly identical wealth tax in his own state.

The proposed California measure would slap the state’s wealthiest residents with a heavy 5 percent tax, supposedly to fund healthcare programs.

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As the measure officially heads to the November ballot, Newsom made sure voters knew he will not be supporting it.

He admitted he is voting against the measure, arguing that the fight over taxing the ultra rich should not be fought one state at a time.

Instead, he insists it belongs at the federal level.

According to Newsom, “The fight to make the wealthiest Americans pay more in taxes is not one we should be fighting state by state.”

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He claimed that the current tax mess was created in Washington, not Sacramento, declaring that it is the “broken system” of the federal government that needs fixing.

That reasoning might sound noble to his liberal base, but critics see it for what it is.

Newsom is trying to nationalize his political message, conveniently dodging responsibility for a tax that could drive even more wealthy residents, jobs, and investment out of California.

It is a political calculation, not a policy principle.

After all, the state’s sky-high taxes have already chased out businesses and billionaires to friendlier states with lower tax burdens.

Newsom argued that he opposes the state tax because nearly all of its revenue would go to healthcare alone, excluding schools, housing, childcare, and public safety.

“This is not how we should set California’s budget priorities,” he lectured, claiming that one “advocacy organization” should not be allowed to rewrite the state’s tax code.

If that logic sounds familiar, it is because Newsom used the same playbook before facing the gas tax battle, the education funding debates, and several failed policy initiatives that later collapsed financially.

He tries to look above the fray, positioning himself as the sophisticated liberal who supports reform in theory but balks the minute it becomes reality for California taxpayers.

While Newsom postures as a reformer, his new idea for a federal billionaire tax is widely seen as a political move with 2028 written all over it.

Political strategists on both sides of the aisle have speculated that Newsom’s sudden embrace of national tax reform is a calculated pivot toward a potential presidential run.

Taxing billionaires nationally might win applause from progressive primary voters, but it will hardly impress the rest of the country that is struggling to survive under ever expanding government control.

“The wealthy have their own private tax code full of loopholes and exemptions that most people have never heard of,” Newsom declared, adding that powerful politicians in Washington have protected these advantages for decades.

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It is hard to ignore the irony of a man who governs a state built on those same political perks suddenly decrying them when he is eyeing the national stage.

California’s ballot fight is shaping up to be one of the most expensive political battles in the nation.

The state’s progressive activists are already celebrating their chance to transform California’s tax structure once again, while business leaders warn that the proposal could send even more companies fleeing to Texas, Nevada, and Florida.

The very people liberals claim they will tax are precisely the ones who can easily pack up and leave.

Newsom may believe he can keep one foot in both camps, appealing to Silicon Valley billionaires with one hand while appeasing progressive activists with the other.

But as usual, the governor’s polished rhetoric collides hard with economic reality.

His call for a national wealth tax plays well on MSNBC, yet his opposition to the same plan locally reveals where his loyalties truly lie.

By opposing a state-level wealth tax, Newsom can please his ultra-rich donors, while by proposing a federal version, he can impress the Democrat base ahead of the presidential primaries.

It is the perfect double-act for a politician who thrives on symbolism but resists accountability.

Californians have seen the results of his governance firsthand—high costs, vanishing taxpayers, failing public services, and a mass exodus of working families.

So when Gavin Newsom declares war on billionaires, Americans should take it with a large grain of salt.

For all his talk about fairness and reform, this is a familiar script: lofty speeches about justice paired with policies that only hurt his own state.

The real mystery is how long California voters will keep buying the performance.

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