Rantz: After signing largest tax hike in state history, Bob Ferguson claims he’s fighting for our economy
Jun 2, 2025, 5:03 AM

Governor Bob Ferguson signed a massive Washington operating budget. (Photo courtesy of TVW)
(Photo courtesy of TVW)
Governor Bob Ferguson signed the biggest tax hike in Washington state history, but now he wants you to believe he鈥檚 some kind of economic savior for 鈥渇ighting鈥 Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs. Does anyone actually buy this?
“I’m proud to be in the fight against Donald Trump’s unlawful tariffs that are harming our economy. When he imposed his tariffs, I built a coalition of impacted Washington businesses and workers and presented their stories to the court. Together we will keep fighting for economic justice,” Ferguson said on X.
Here鈥檚 the real problem: Trump鈥檚 tariffs haven鈥檛 actually hurt Washington鈥檚 economy. So, is Ferguson clueless, or just hoping you are?
Here’s how Bob Ferguson is destroying, not helping, our economy
Washingtonians are about to get hit with a tax shock like nothing we鈥檝e ever seen.
Drivers will be slammed with a 6-cent gas tax hike鈥攐n top of the Climate Commitment Act tax鈥攑lus a 2% increase every year after that. Owning a car? Get ready for higher filing, title, and service fees. Your driver鈥檚 license will cost more every year. Renting a car? Taxes are doubling, including on services like Turo.
It doesn鈥檛 stop there. B&O, capital gains, and estate taxes are all going up. Marriage licenses and outdoor recreation fees are bumped up. And now, sales taxes are being slapped on a laundry list of services that used to be exempt.
Welcome to the most expensive, yet equally disappointing version of Washington yet.
I’m proud to be in the fight against Donald Trump’s unlawful tariffs that are harming our economy. When he imposed his tariffs, I built a coalition of impacted Washington businesses and workers and presented their stories to the court. Together we will keep fighting for economic鈥
鈥 Bob Ferguson (@BobFergusonGov)
Washington’s economy had been damaged long before Trump’s tariffs
Ferguson keeps insisting Trump鈥檚 tariffs are wrecking our economy鈥攂ut the data says otherwise. This is just the latest excuse to cover for Democrats鈥 own disastrous policies.
Is the cost of living through the roof because of tariffs that haven鈥檛 even been fully implemented? Or is it thanks to Democrat mismanagement? Are rent and housing costs skyrocketing because of tariffs on products we haven鈥檛 even imported? Of course not. You can blame Democrats鈥攁gain. Outdoor recreation and marriage licenses aren鈥檛 getting more expensive because of Trump鈥檚 tariffs; it鈥檚 because of Democrats鈥 tax hikes.
Washington has been struggling for years, with state unemployment stubbornly higher than the national average. But Democrats and their media cheerleaders in Seattle have ignored the numbers. Now, suddenly, they want to blame Trump鈥檚 tariffs鈥攁nd Ferguson is playing economic justice warrior to distract from the historic tax hikes about to slam Washington taxpayers. Don鈥檛 fall for it.
Listen to The Jason Rantz Show聽on聽weekday afternoons from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the聽podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on聽,听,听, and聽.