The dissolution of the Donald Trump-Elon Musk marriage was enough, for a brief moment, to lift beleaguered California Democrats’ spirits.
But within 24 hours, the gleeful mood in this heavily Democratic state darkened amid sweeping immigration raids and reports the Trump administration was planning to yank funding from California.
“Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump.” It was unclear on Friday what money the White House might rescind.
Against the backdrop of that multifront defensive, the feuding between Trump and Musk became a secondary concern, at best.
Instead, leading California Democrats were once again girding for battle with an administration that has made a habit of threatening to block money for areas like wildfire recovery, education and law enforcement if California does not change its policies.
For a short time, the breakup of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s marriage was enough to cheer up hard-pressed California Democrats.
However, a day later, amid widespread immigration raids and rumors that the Trump administration was preparing to cut off funding from California, the joyous atmosphere in this overwhelmingly Democratic state soured. Even though Democrats enjoyed a public feud between the president and the richest man in the world, the quick reversal served as a reminder that a hostile White House is far more significant than a verbal sparring match between X and the president.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders swiftly reverted to their well-known defensive stance on Friday, denouncing the White House’s purported plan and intensifying the conflict by threatening to stop California from sending money to Washington.
Newsom stated in a post on X that “we pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back.”. “@realDonaldTrump, maybe it’s time to stop that. “”.
On Friday, the White House did not specify what funds it might withdraw. According to a spokesperson, no choice has been made.
A flurry of sarcastic tweets, triumphant news stories, and floor speeches were used by many Democrats to celebrate the historic break between Trump and his former patron Musk over the course of the previous day. California, where Democrats witnessed Musk’s transformation from a source of pride to a conservative adversary ready to attack the state that helped create him, was a particularly happy state.
As Musk emphasized Democrats’ opposition to tariffs and the GOP “megabill” being discussed in Congress—two key components of the president’s agenda—the dunking contest appeared to create new political opportunities.
However, the break from harsh news cycles wasn’t long-lasting. Also, it confirmed what some Democrats had warned about: that the Trump-Musk feud was diverting attention from Washington’s more pressing threats.
Regarding Rep. Thursday was all about Musk for Dave Min, who is getting ready to defend a crucial Orange County seat that could determine control of the House. In a prepared floor speech, he criticized the Tesla executive and joined in on the X jokes. Min was rushing to stop what he described as a “blatantly lawless” attempt to recoup money on Friday.
“On the surface, these cuts seem to be illegal and driven by political retaliation and revenge against our state,” Min wrote in a letter to the White House.
Rep. After Trump promised to target “sanctuary” jurisdictions that restrict collaboration between local law enforcement and federal authorities, Jimmy Gomez went from disparaging Trump with a Taylor Swift meme to raising concerns about immigration arrests across the resolutely Democratic county of Los Angeles.
ICE did not reply to a request for comment. Union officials claimed that SEIU California President David Huerta was arrested and hurt during a demonstration against immigration raids, eliciting condemnations from a wide range of elected officials. Californians were protesting federal plans to rename a naval vessel named after the late gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk in San Francisco at the same time.
Trump and Musk’s feud was, at best, a secondary issue in the context of that multifront defensive.
At an unrelated news conference on Thursday, Newsom declined the opportunity to take a jab at Musk, with whom he has a long and complex relationship, telling reporters that he hoped those who were captivated by “what Elon Musk tweeted today and what Trump said tomorrow can focus on what matters.” However, Newsom’s press office teased the news conference with a reference to the Trump-Musk breakup.
As well, Rep. Laura Friedman referred to the Trump-Musk scandal as a diversion from the White House’s plan to restructure the federal government.
“They are reducing Americans’ access to health care, destroying people’s ability to see a doctor and obtain health insurance, and using tariffs to make life more expensive for regular people,” Friedman stated. Although this is humorous, there are numerous ways in which it is detrimental to our nation. I hope that people will see past its entertainment value. “”.
By Friday afternoon, very few were doing so. Rather than that, top California Democrats were once again bracing for conflict with an administration that has a history of threatening to cut off funding for things like education, law enforcement, and wildfire recovery unless California changes its policies.
In a post on BlueSky, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas stated, “We need to consider all of our options, including withholding federal taxes.”.
