Khanna: It’s Not Taxes That Are Hurting California, It’s Tariffs, Immigration Restrictions, Gov’t Employees Leaving

April 7, 2026
6:31 pm

▶

Listen to Article

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) just dropped a bombshell on CNBC's Squawk Box, blaming California's woes not on sky-high taxes or regulatory strangulation, but on tariffs, immigration restrictions, and government employees fleeing the state. Defending his push for a billionaire tax, Khanna argued that the real killer is blocking the best and brightest immigrants from Silicon Valley's golden gates. It's a classic progressive pivot: when your policies turn the Golden State into a gilded cage, point fingers at Trump-era trade wars and border walls instead of the $100 billion+ budget black hole fueled by unchecked spending and 13.3% top income tax rates that make even tech titans twitchy. This isn't just economic deflection—it's a masterclass in missing the forest for the trees, with ripple effects straight to the heart of the 2A community. California's exodus isn't led by H-1B visa holders alone; it's packed with gun owners and patriots ditching the People's Republic for freer states like Texas and Idaho, where they can actually exercise their Second Amendment rights without begging for permission slips. Khanna's tariff gripe ignores how protectionist policies pale against Sacramento's iron-fisted gun grabs—assault weapon bans, mag limits, and roster restrictions that have turned law-abiding citizens into felons overnight. Meanwhile, his immigration obsession overlooks the chaos at the border, where cartel-fueled violence spikes demand for self-defense firearms, yet blue-state regs leave residents defenseless. Gov't employees bolting? That's the deep state realizing even they can't afford the utopia they've built. For 2A advocates, Khanna's rant is a rallying cry: California's collapse proves gun control doesn't fix crime or economies—it accelerates decline. As families and businesses flee to pro-2A havens, the contrast sharpens: states honoring the right to keep and bear arms thrive with lower crime and higher growth, while Khanna's vision withers. Time to double down on defending our rights, because the best and brightest aren't just coders—they're the armed citizens keeping freedom alive.

Best FFL Software Ranked and Compared!

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) just dropped a bombshell on CNBC’s Squawk Box, blaming California’s woes not on sky-high taxes or regulatory strangulation, but on tariffs, immigration restrictions, and government employees fleeing the state. Defending his push for a billionaire tax, Khanna argued that the real killer is blocking the best and brightest immigrants from Silicon Valley’s golden gates. It’s a classic progressive pivot: when your policies turn the Golden State into a gilded cage, point fingers at Trump-era trade wars and border walls instead of the $100 billion+ budget black hole fueled by unchecked spending and 13.3% top income tax rates that make even tech titans twitchy.

This isn’t just economic deflection—it’s a masterclass in missing the forest for the trees, with ripple effects straight to the heart of the 2A community. California’s exodus isn’t led by H-1B visa holders alone; it’s packed with gun owners and patriots ditching the People’s Republic for freer states like Texas and Idaho, where they can actually exercise their Second Amendment rights without begging for permission slips. Khanna’s tariff gripe ignores how protectionist policies pale against Sacramento’s iron-fisted gun grabs—assault weapon bans, mag limits, and roster restrictions that have turned law-abiding citizens into felons overnight. Meanwhile, his immigration obsession overlooks the chaos at the border, where cartel-fueled violence spikes demand for self-defense firearms, yet blue-state regs leave residents defenseless. Gov’t employees bolting? That’s the deep state realizing even they can’t afford the utopia they’ve built.

For 2A advocates, Khanna’s rant is a rallying cry: California’s collapse proves gun control doesn’t fix crime or economies—it accelerates decline. As families and businesses flee to pro-2A havens, the contrast sharpens: states honoring the right to keep and bear arms thrive with lower crime and higher growth, while Khanna’s vision withers. Time to double down on defending our rights, because the best and brightest aren’t just coders—they’re the armed citizens keeping freedom alive.

Share this story