Newsom’s populist act: Oppose state billionaire tax, embrace federal one

Governor Gavin Newsom is positioning himself as a populist crusader against wealth inequality, but his approach reveals some calculation. CalMatters reports he's vocally opposing California's proposed billionaire tax while pitching a federal version, framing both moves as responses to AI-driven inequality and job losses. The political tension: his opposition to the state measure could confuse voters facing a crowded fall ballot with multiple tax proposals. Newsom is clearly setting wealth inequality and AI disruption as centerpieces of an expected 2028 presidential run.

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