Top Dem Gov Candidate Proposes Tax Hike On ‘Mega MAGA Rich People’ To Fix Potential Budget Hit

As Michigan lawmakers debate next year’s budget, the Democratic lieutenant governor — who’s running for governor in 2026 — floated an idea to hit back at some of the Trump administration’s spending cuts and get more money into the state government’s coffers: raise taxes on the wealthiest Trump supporters.

In a video obtained by The Daily Wire, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist told a group of Democrats earlier this month that the Trump administration has “attacked our people” by cutting funding to universities and “attacking those of us who are getting our health care from Medicaid.” Gilchrist made the remarks during a video call with the Kent County, Michigan, Democratic Party on August 13 as he gears up for a competitive Democratic primary in the 2026 Michigan governor’s race.

“We’re going to fight back and say, ‘Hell no, we’re not going to accept that,'” Gilchrist added. “And frankly, it pisses me off that we don’t have enough money in Michigan to be able to afford to backfill this $1.1 billion hole we’ve blown in the budget. I know how we could get a little bit more of that money — if we actually tax the wealthiest mega MAGA rich people in this state … if we actually went after the biggest companies that got a tax cut from [former Republican Governor] Rick Snyder and the Republicans.”

In a video I’ve obtained for @realDailyWire, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist — a top candidate for governor — tells a group of Democrats via video call that he wants to raise taxes on a specific political class: “mega MAGA rich people.” pic.twitter.com/2rsPUCgFDK

— Zach Jewell (@zach_d_jewell) August 28, 2025

Raising taxes on some people based on their political leanings wouldn’t be possible and would run into numerous legal issues if it were even attempted. Gilchrist’s suggestion to hit wealthy Trump supporters with higher taxes is also a questionable political tactic, given that Michigan is a swing state that President Trump won in both 2016 and 2024.

The lieutenant governor’s comments, however, played well with the Democratic base, as the audience broke out into applause and cheers when Gilchrist suggested taxing wealthy Trump supporters. In the video, Gilchrist calls into the meeting from an airport in New York City despite the Kent County Democratic Party saying that the “Social Hour” would be “hosted” by the lieutenant governor.

The $1.1 billion figure referenced by Gilchrist refers to a report released last month by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which claims that because of Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” the state will have to come up with a massive chunk of money to make up for Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food benefits, according to Bridge Michigan. The report stated that Michigan “will need to cut around $1.1 billion in General Fund/General Purpose appropriations from the FY2026 Executive Budget proposal.”

Republican state Rep. Ann Bollin, however, told The Daily Wire that the House has put forward a plan that incorporates all of the federal guidelines under the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” such as the work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP, without putting the state in a financial hole.

“We have managed to build a budget that takes into account what those federal requirements are,” Bollin said. “Those federal requirements are not extensive. I mean, they are work requirements. That is not a high threshold.”

“We’re implementing the research and development tax credit, we’re incorporating the $250 million that the feds are giving us for rural hospitals. We are offering relief to individuals with the elimination of taxes on tips, overtime, and social security,” Bollin continued.

She added that it’s good for the Trump administration to implement work requirements for programs like SNAP, saying that “Michigan has to address its very high SNAP error rate,” and root out fraud.

“I think we’re going to find that this budget is going to deliver on protecting the most vulnerable and keeping within some financial constraints, but also that it’s fiscally sustainable for us as a state,” Bollin said.

The Michigan legislature is currently negotiating a budget for fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. Lawmakers have already passed the July 1 statutory deadline to present a budget plan to the governor, as the Democrat-controlled state Senate and Republican-controlled state House work to get something passed, The Detroit Free Press reported.

While Gilchrist is suggesting raising taxes on Michigan residents, Republicans have proposed slashing state government spending. On Tuesday, Michigan House Republicans, led by Republican Speaker Matt Hall, unveiled a $78.5 billion budget proposal that would cut state government jobs and spending, while still putting forward a $3 billion plan for fixing the roads, an issue that Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer said must be included in any budget proposal.

Michigan currently has a flat 4.25% income tax for all residents and a 6% corporate income tax, with a 1.8% alternative rate for small businesses. Last year, under Democratic leadership, the income tax increased from 4.05% to 4.25%.

The Gilchrist campaign has not responded to a Daily Wire inquiry asking how much Gilchrist wants to raise taxes on Michigan’s wealthiest Trump supporters.