The temporary relief that the breakup of the marriage between Donald Trump and Elon Musk brought to the downtrodden Democrats in California was short-lived.
A day later, however, allegations surfaced that the Trump administration was intending to cut funds to California and widespread immigration raids dampened the joyous atmosphere in this largely Democratic state. Even if Democrats enjoyed seeing the president and the wealthiest man in the world engage in a public battle, the quick about-face served as a sobering reminder that a hostile White House is far more serious than a verbal exchange on X.
Legislative leaders and Governor Gavin Newsom reverted to their usual defensive posture on Friday, denouncing the White House’s rumored plan and threatening to withhold California’s funding from the federal government, further intensifying the dispute.
According to a post by Newsom on X, the government owes more than $80 billion in taxes. “Perhaps it’s about time we remove that, @realDonaldTrump.”
On Friday, it remained uncertain which funds the White House may withdraw. No decision has been taken, according to a spokeswoman.
The day before, other Democrats had gloated over Trump’s unprecedented split with his longtime backer Musk, adding insults, victory laps, and floor speeches to the mix. Particularly in California, Democrats saw Musk go from a hero to a conservative enemy ready to take on the state that gave him his start, and the excitement was contagious.
With Musk bolstering Democrats’ stance against tariffs and the GOP “megabill” being discussed in Congress—two key components of the president’s agenda—the dunking contest appeared to usher in fresh political opportunities.
The relief from merciless news cycles, however, was fleeting. It also proved that some Democrats were right to say that the Trump-Musk rivalry was diverting attention away from Washington’s real challenges.
Thursday was all about Musk for Rep. Dave Min, who is getting ready to defend a crucial Orange County district that may decide House control: He joined the jeers on X and delivered a prepared floor address in which he blasted the Tesla boss. On Friday, Min hurried to address what he described as a “blatantly lawless” attempt to recoup monies.
The cuts seem to be driven by political revenge and vengeance against our state, as Min said in a letter he sent to the White House.
In the wake of Trump’s pledge to crack down on “sanctuary” jurisdictions that restrict cooperation between federal and local law enforcement, Rep. Jimmy Gomez has gone from criticizing Trump with a Taylor Swift meme to raising concerns about the widespread arrest of immigrants in the heavily Democratic county of Los Angeles.
A large number of public politicians have spoken out against the arrest and injuries sustained by SEIU California President David Huerta during a demonstration against immigration sweeps. ICE has not yet commented on the matter. San Franciscans protested government plans to rechristen a navy vessel after the late gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk at the same time.
Trump and Musk’s spat became, at most, a side issue in the context of that multifront defense.
During a separate news conference on Thursday, Newsom told reporters that he hoped people who are obsessed with “what Elon Musk tweeted today and what Trump said tomorrow can focus on what matters” instead of taking a shot at Musk, with whom he has a long and complicated relationship. However, the press office of Newsom did use a reference to the breakup between Trump and Musk to hint at the news conference, so it wasn’t completely unrelated.
In a similar vein, Congresswoman Laura Friedman characterized the Trump-Musk scandal as an attempt to deflect attention away from the president’s plan to restructure the federal government.
“Health care is being taken away from Americans, people’s access to doctors and health insurance is being destroyed, and the cost of living is going up for regular people due to tariffs,” Friedman stated. “I really hope that people can see past the comedic value of this and realize how detrimental it is to our country in all its forms.”
Afternoon on Friday, few were still laughing. On the contrary, prominent Democrats in California were once again bracing for conflict with the current administration, which has a history of threatening to cut funding to vital programs like education, law enforcement, and wildfire recovery unless the Golden State changes its policies.
Withholding federal taxes is one possibility that Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas stated in a BlueSky article that they must consider.
