Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is picking a fight with the Trump White House over its criticism of guaranteed income programs, and he came loaded with receipts. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, hit back after Trump officials called his no-strings minimum income idea a “handout.” Because that’s exactly what it is, and at the end of the day the taxpayers will be paying for it.
“This is the same President that signed 166 million stimulus checks (and) pushed Congress for $2,000 in direct payments” to Americans, Tubbs said in a statement. Hard to argue with math, Mike. Though Democrats usually try anyway.
The whole thing kicked off after a Fox News story highlighted Tubbs’ program, which has spread to more than 100 pilot programs across the country according to the Urban Institute. That apparently got some attention inside the White House, because a spokesperson fired back fast. Tubbs guaranteed income program has clearly gotten under some skin in Washington.
White House spokesman Kush Desai didn’t mince words. Americans don’t need handouts, but a dynamic economy with wage, job, and investment growth, which the Trump administration is unleashing with a proven economic agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and tariffs,” Desai said. He also told Democrat mayors to focus on “cleaning up their city streets before embarrassing themselves with a stupid PR push.” Somebody’s been waiting a while to say that, but unfortunately Democrats don’t seem to like clean cities. Just look at all the urban towns in America who’ve suffered under Democratic leadership for decades. Total failures.
Tubbs swung back on Monday, pointing out that Trump himself has floated direct payments to Americans, including proceeds from tariffs and savings from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Trump painted those as “cash, straight to Americans, no strings,” Tubbs noted. “But suddenly it’s a ‘handout’ when the money goes to families who actually need it,” Tubbs said.
That’s actually a fair political point, and it’s the kind of argument that makes this fight interesting. Republicans are right that a job beats a check every time, but the messaging gets complicated when your guy has been pretty enthusiastic about mailing people money too. Except there’s a difference. Trump’s administration spends time cutting wasted spending, finding fraud, and fixing the problems caused by Democrats. One problem, like allowing the border to be flooded and taxpayer money being wasted on illegals is in the process of being fixed, so if a few bucks goes back to Americans, after it’s released from the grasp of scandalous Democrats, then that’s very different.
Tubbs, a Democrat, became Stockton’s first Black mayor in 2016. He lost his reelection bid to Republican Kevin Lincoln in 2020, then landed a cushy gig as a special adviser for economic mobility under Governor Gavin Newsom, which is basically the California government’s way of keeping Democrats on the payroll no matter what voters say. He announced in 2024 that he’s running for California lieutenant governor.
Tubbs says guaranteed income isn’t charity, but “a lifesaver for the 60% of Americans who can’t afford the basic necessities needed to survive,” calling it “a floor that makes other solutions possible.” He was born in Stockton to a 16-year-old mother with his father incarcerated for much of his early life, and went on to attend Stanford University. Cool story, bro. No one cares. If people need help, then they can quality for the programs that already exist to help them. We don’t need anymore freebie programs as we have way too many as it is.
The guaranteed income debate isn’t going away, especially with grocery bills and rent still punishing working families. Tubbs is running for lieutenant governor of California, so expect him to keep pushing this issue loudly. And expect the White House to keep reminding him what the words “clean up your streets” mean.
And at the end of the day, just remember that Democrats don’t want you to succeed. They want you to stay poor and need help, so they can pretend to be your savior. But at the end of the day, they’re just scam artists who only know how to raise taxes.
This is how bad it is:
You guys can't manage a budget or stop stealing taxes, or find ways to reduce costs, so naturally you just give out free money like a bunch of socialist ding dongs.
Anything but FIX problems and tell people to go to work.
Losers.
— Frank (@drastic215x) October 17, 2026
