Will California Secede from the Union?
- Donald V. Watkins
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By: Donald V. Watkins
Copyrighted and Published on June 10, 2025
An Editorial Opinion
Most people in America have never heard of CalExit. It is the name of an organized political campaign in California to succeed from the Union and make the state of California an independent country.
California has the fourth largest economy in the world. It has a population of 40 million people living within its 163,696 square miles. It has Army, Navy, and Air Force bases within its territory. The state also has a sustained record of balanced budgets, great and growing revenue streams, and a healthy budget surplus.
On January 23, 2025, CalExit met the California Secretary of State’s legal requirements to begin collecting petition signatures to place the succession proposition on the ballot in 2028. The California Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure as follows:
If enacted, this measure places the following question on November 2028 ballot: “Should California leave the United States and become a free and independent country?” If at least 50% of registered voters participate in that election, and at least 55% vote “yes”, it would constitute “a vote of no confidence in the United States of America” and “expression of the will of the people of California” to become an independent country, but would not change California’s current government or relationship with the United States.
Considering the dramatic protest events in Los Angeles over the weekend, President Donald Trump’s unilateral deployment of the California National Guard in Los Angeles, and Trump’s threat to arrest Gov. Gavin Newsom, CalExit will likely secure the number of signatures required for this ballot initiative.
Will California eventually become an independent country? Considering the chaotic political climate in a deeply divided America today, it is entirely possible.
Unions of states and nations sometimes break up. The 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union is a prime example of such a breakup. That breakup of states led to the establishment of independent nations within the same territory.
I support CalExit. Unfortunately, America has descended into an era of ugly, mindless, political tribalism. Today, the MAGA Republican ruling party has shown little to no loyalty to the U.S. Constitution. The MAGA Tribe has established that blind loyalty to an authoritarian president is the only thing that matters.
Democrats are banging the states' rights drum again.
It wouldn't be an unrealistic proposition if California decided to break from the union. My opinion is that California alone is solvent enough to support its percapita, as exemplified by the mass infusion of migrants from Mexico as well from other South, North, and Central America countries.
California is not just a hub for specific ethnic groups. It's a vast melting pot comprised of groups from around the globe. Clearly, there is power in numbers, and when you consider census reportings, larger populations usually receive more funding. Larger numbers of people, especially non-white, frequently migrating to California, are troublesome to MAGA and cause pantic and desperation. Nothing better exemplifies this than the latest raid in Los Angeles ICE against Lat…