Fact-check · Sep 9, 2026 · Donald Trump
“A taxpayer flees every two and a half minutes”
MISLEADING
What the record shows
IRS data (2023) and Census Bureau data (2024) show California loses approximately one taxpayer every 1-2 minutes, not every 2.5 minutes. Net outmigration was 200,000 in 2023 and 253,608 in 2024.
Sources
- New IRS Data Show Pandemic Outmigration Eased in 2023 [EconTax Blog]
- IRS Data Show Pandemic Uptick in Outmigration Continues [EconTax Blog]
- How Do Taxes Affect Interstate Migration? | State Migration Trends
- California Loses a Taxpayer Per Minute
- More taxpayers are leaving California than coming. Experts say that hasn’t yet impacted the state’s budget — but it could
- Florida Continues to Attract New Residents; New York, California, and Illinois Lose the Most Population - Foundation - National Taxpayers Union
From: LIVE: RNC 2026 National Convention in Dallas Features President Trump on Day 1
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