Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson faces fresh backlash after joke about millionaires’ tax gesture

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing renewed criticism after attempting to joke about a controversial hand gesture tied to Washington’s new tax on high earners during a recent public appearance.

During a Q&A at Seattle University, Wilson appeared to wave goodbye to millionaires leaving the state because of Washington’s new tax on wealthy residents. A few weeks later, the mayor addressed the backlash in a social media video, saying, “I know there’s been a lot of attention on my hand gestures lately,” before joking about an “awkward high-five.”

Supporters might agree with the mayor’s “tongue-in-cheek” approach. Critics might argue the mayor never directly apologized for the gesture and instead attempted to defuse the controversy with humor while distancing herself from the state tax law by pointing to lawmakers in Olympia.

Wilson said, “I know it might help me to take credit for the recent tax on high earners, but I actually didn’t have much to do with that. That all happened in Olympia.”

Wilson also warned against “distractions” and “divisions” interfering with progress. However, could it be that her own team created this particular “distraction” and a new negative news cycle surrounding the original gesture?

We’ll let you be the judge.

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