Newsom Escalates Attacks on Abbott and DeSantis Over Tax Policies
California Governor Gavin Newsom has intensified his criticism of Republican governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida, focusing on their respective tax policies. Newsom argues that Texas and Florida place a disproportionately high tax burden on lower and middle-income residents, despite rhetoric promoting economic freedom.
Newsom’s Claims and the Texas Tax System
Newsom asserts that the middle class in Texas pays a larger percentage of their income in taxes compared to their counterparts in California. He defends California’s progressive tax structure, designed to protect lower-income brackets. “Texas taxes the poor more than we do our richest citizens,” Newsom stated on his X account. “Your middle class pays more taxes in Texas than our middle class in California.”
California’s Progressive Tax Model
According to Newsom, California employs the most progressive tax rates in the United States, meaning higher earners contribute a larger percentage of their income in taxes. He challenged the notion that California has higher taxes arguing that the tax burden depends entirely on the taxpayer’s income level. “Our focus is that, that’s what a progressive tax means,” Newsom said.
DeSantis’s Response and Florida’s Position
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis swiftly responded to Newsom’s claims, labeling them as “blatant lies and statistics.” DeSantis defended Florida’s tax system, citing a ranking that positions the state as one of the most economically favorable for taxpayers (45th position). He also highlighted the high tax burden in California, specifically mentioning sales, income, and gasoline taxes as the highest in the country.
Broader Political Context
This exchange is the latest in a series of public disputes between Newsom and the Republican governors. Newsom has previously used advertising and public statements to criticize Abbott and DeSantis on issues such as abortion rights and gun control NBC News. These criticisms are often interpreted as positioning Newsom for a potential future run for national office.
Past Conflicts Between Governors
The rivalry between these governors extends beyond tax policy. In 2025, Newsom criticized former President Donald Trump’s deployment of troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over federal immigration policy, calling it an assault on democracy AP News. Abbott, in contrast, put the National Guard on standby in Texas during similar demonstrations.
In July 2022, Newsom ran full-page ads in Texas newspapers, highlighting a new California gun law modeled after Texas’s restrictive abortion law NBC News.