Rantz: After signing largest tax hike in state history, Bob Ferguson claims he’s fighting for our economy

Governor Bob Ferguson signed the biggest tax hike in Washington state history, but now he wants you to believe he’s some kind of economic savior for “fighting” Donald Trump’s 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’s the real problem: Trump’s tariffs haven’t actually hurt Washington’s 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’ve ever seen.

Drivers will be slammed with a 6-cent gas tax hike—on top of the Climate Commitment Act tax—plus a 2% increase every year after that. Owning a car? Get ready for higher filing, title, and service fees. Your driver’s license will cost more every year. Renting a car? Taxes are doubling, including on services like Turo.

It doesn’t 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…

— Bob Ferguson (@BobFergusonGov) May 30, 2025

Washington’s economy had been damaged long before Trump’s tariffs

Ferguson keeps insisting Trump’s tariffs are wrecking our economy—but the data says otherwise. This is just the latest excuse to cover for Democrats’ own disastrous policies.

Is the cost of living through the roof because of tariffs that haven’t even been fully implemented? Or is it thanks to Democrat mismanagement? Are rent and housing costs skyrocketing because of tariffs on products we haven’t even imported? Of course not. You can blame Democrats—again. Outdoor recreation and marriage licenses aren’t getting more expensive because of Trump’s tariffs; it’s because of Democrats’ 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’s tariffs—and Ferguson is playing economic justice warrior to distract from the historic tax hikes about to slam Washington taxpayers. Don’t fall for it.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz