💬 Gavin Newsom makes 100% tax threat, and example 32B of communism with a smile

If you like liberty, if you think America is decent, if you've thought the country’s 250 years of existence has been pretty much better than anything in world history, if you think countries should have borders and basic laws, then you are most likely not a modern Democrat.

Modern Democrats are for lawlessness, decline and, more than anything, they just want to take from you. Take, take, take. I’m surprised the DNC hasn’t made it the party’s new slogan, because it seems to be one of the key agenda items the most prominent Democrats talk about. And it’s sheer lunacy.

Just look at what evil lizard-man Gavin Newsom said the other day. The outgoing California governor proposed a 100% tax on any California resident who receives a payout from the Trump administration’s new anti-weaponization fund. That is a $1.776 billion fund to give Americans who have been "badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden Administration," as Trump said, a way to seek recourse.

“Anyone from California that receives any of those funds, we want to tax 100%
of those proceeds. And that's an action the state of California can take. It's an action we look forward to taking,” Newsom said, wagging his finger at the camera.

Well, actually Gavin, that’s not an action that California can take. A confiscatory tax aimed at a disfavored political group would face enormous challenges under equal protection, due process and other rights protected by the Constitution. He likely knows this, making the whole gambit a headline-grabbing anti-Trump publicity stunt.

I thought Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant summed it up best when he was asked about Newsom’s 100% tax idea at a press conference. “There’s no cure for stupid,” Bessant said. ✅ Of course, Newsom may never get the chance to try to levy the 100% tax because yet another activist judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from setting up the fund.

Another high-profile Democrat who’s talking about implementing enormous taxes is — you guessed it — the librarian from hell, Elizabeth Warren. All the Democrats have is fear, and Pocahontas has been an all-out fear-mongering blitz about A.I. lately.

“Understand this, if we're going to build an A.I. future that works for everyone, then we need to tax A.I. and invest in people,” Pocahontas said. Btw, why is Democrats’ first instinct always to tax something? Is that a guideline listed on page one of the Democrat handbook?

While Newsom and Warren want to take citizens’ money through aggressive taxation, there’s someone who’s plotting to take citizens’ property in an even more audacious manner. New York City Mayor Moron Zamboni began laying the groundwork for the city to begin seizing private property, a hallmark of communism, this week.

Ronald Reagan warned us, when the communists come to America, they will come with a smile. And that is what is happening right now. He's smiley. They slick his hair back nicely. They give him that low-fi music and soft lighting. And he's ushering in the time-tested worst ideas of all time. Here is example 32B.

Why did Ronald Reagan say it would come with a smile? Because you can't sell state control over everybody's life with a grimace. You better smile about it and make the people think you're going to do something really good for them. Meanwhile, it’s just take, take, take.

Before we get to the poll and other stuff, I do want to celebrate a positive. Colbert has officially left network television, people. I discussed it briefly on Tuesday’s show, and over at Dave Rubin News we put together a compilation of the most insidious moments from his 11 years on CBS. There’s so much to unpack about Colbert’s demise, but maybe the funniest part of it all was Brian Stelter on CNN trying to explain how Colbert made the world less bleak — but every example he cited was actually a bit from Letterman’s version of the Late Show. You just can’t make this stuff up.

Huge amount of Rubin Recap readers are U.S. veterans

It was so touching to see that a huge share of the readers — 86% who took part last week’s poll — of this newsletter (and likely viewers of The Rubin Report) are either U.S. veterans or currently serving in the military. From myself and everyone here at Rubin HQ, thank you! I also received so many comments from readers on their military service or the service of their family members, and it was a pleasure to read through them all and learn about the service to this country so many of you and your family members have provided. One of the comments, from a reader named Terry, was so amazing, I featured it on the show this week. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. Literally:

For this week’s poll, we’re getting back to the Trump power rankings, which Rubio has been dominating since late last year. More of the same? Get your vote in ⬇️

• Made appearances again this week on a bunch of other people’s shows to promote the big “Florida Man” Rubin Report event. Check them out here:

→ A highlight of my appearance on Glenn Beck’s show here.

→ A clip of my appearance on The Will Cain Show  here.

→ And my full appearance on Mario Nawfal’s X show (ignore the ridiculous headline) here.

• Prager U actually made some additional tickets available to the public for the live “Florida Man” edition of The Rubin Report. You can attend in-person at the Fillmore theater in Miami Beach on June 11 with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jillian Michaels will also be appearing, and Adam Carolla will be doing standup. Get your seats — we extended the 25% discount for a few more days — just use the code “PRAGERU” at checkout.

• Proud to report that Copal won another award this week, taking home silver at the 2026 Agavos Awards. That is the sixth award Copal has won since I launched it last year. I’m telling you — a new era of tequila is here. We’re back to our usual deal — buy three and we’ll ship them free.

• You did it! You’ve reached the end of the newsletter. That’s all for now, but I’ll be back Sunday with a new edition of The Return to Normalcy on why June 15 will (hopefully) be pivotal in our return to normalcy, and a sit-down interview with the great Dennis Prager.

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Until Sunday … — Dave