Seattle’s new mayor just said the quiet part out loud — and critics are stunned.
Katie Wilson openly laughed off fears that wealthy residents and job creators could flee the city over higher taxes, delivering a blunt message to millionaires: don’t let the door hit you.
“I think the claims that millionaires are going to leave our state are, like, super overblown. And if — the ones that leave, like, bye,” Wilson said at a Seattle University event — prompting cheers and laughter from the crowd.
Brandi Kruse shared the clip on X, saying, “We’re doomed.”
INSANE. Seattle's Socialist Mayor responds to exodus of wealth from Washington state by saying "BYE" … then laughing. We're doomed. pic.twitter.com/gP8CbPkqEl
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) April 29, 2026
The moment landed with a thud among business leaders already warning that Seattle is becoming increasingly hostile to growth.
Wilson is pushing progressive tax ideas as the city stares down a major budget crunch — even as she admits the cost of doing business downtown is already “wildly out of step” with nearby Bellevue.
That contradiction is raising eyebrows.
On one hand, the mayor says Seattle must stay competitive.
On the other, she is signaling more taxes could be on the way — and shrugging off the possibility that the tax base might walk.
The stakes are not theoretical.
Local reporting has warned Seattle could lose up to $750 million in future tax revenue as Starbucks expands in Tennessee instead of Washington — a flashing red warning sign for a city already struggling to keep major employers.
And the fiscal picture is only getting worse.
Wilson acknowledged the city faces a “large structural budget deficit,” with officials scrambling to figure out how to close the gap in the next budget cycle.
More over at The New York Post:
Socialist Seattle mayor dismisses millionaires leaving Washington state by waving 'bye' to them https://t.co/XEYExo5wq5 pic.twitter.com/TkAqBdmYX4
— New York Post (@nypost) May 1, 2026
