Millionaire actor Mark Ruffalo tells New Yorkers to 'tax the rich' while critics demand 'him first'
Mark Ruffalo is facing backlash after endorsing the "Tax the Rich" campaign.
On Feb. 24, the 58-year-old actor shared a video on social media in which he called upon New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to impose higher taxes on billionaires and corporations with the aim of improving affordability across the state.
In the clip, Ruffalo also promoted the upcoming Tax the Rich & Demand an Affordable NY: Albany Takeover, a march and rally being held in the state capital on Feb. 25.
"In New York, rent is crushing people," he said. "Childcare now costs over $20,000 a year on average. Trump's policies keep making billionaires richer, while working families endure cuts to essential services."
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"So last year, over a million New Yorkers came together to vote for Mayor Mamdani's affordability agenda," he said, referring to democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was elected last November.
"So who's getting in the way?" Ruffalo continued. "Gov. Kathy Hochul has a choice to make. You protect working families, and tax the rich, or make Trump's cuts worse by forcing everyday people to pay more. Sixty percent of New Yorkers, like me, agree that we should tax billionaires and corporations to fund childcare, housing and transit. Working people shouldn't be the ones always stuck with the bill."
"This Wednesday, Feb. 25, thousands of folks are going to Albany to send Kathy Hochul one clear message: Tax the Rich for New York that we can all afford. They can handle it. Trust me," he concluded.
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An X user later shared Ruffalo's video, writing, "Mark Ruffalo: 'Tax the rich... They can handle it, trust me,'" in a post that received over 5 million views.
The post was quickly flooded with comments as some critics slammed Ruffalo for alleged "hypocrisy," arguing that the Marvel star, who has an estimated net worth in the tens of millions, should be offering to pay more in taxes himself.
"Waiting for him to step up," one X user wrote.
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"So he can handle it right?" another added.
"There is nothing stopping Mark Ruffalo from checking that box on his tax returns, that he would like to pay more than the required amount," another detractor commented. "He could easily give away every dime he owns except for a middle class income level."
"Him first," another agreed.
Some X users argued that while Ruffalo was pressing Hochul to pursue tax reforms targeting billionaires and large corporations, he was not advocating that those in the millionaire class should be made to pay more.
"I love how he says ‘we should tax billionaires’ This exposes the sickening hypocrisy of these leftie celebrities," one critic wrote. "He’s a millionaire – so, don’t tax him more – he’s not ‘wealthy’. No, no… it’s those nasty billionaires – who already pay tax and create wealth in the economy."
"If we just took every penny from all the millionaires – Childcare would be free! – And housing! And food! But you would be broke, Mark," another chimed in. "Should we vote on it? It would pass. Why is it always other people’s stuff socialists want to take??"
"Notice how it's always a wealthy person telling others to pay more taxes, but they never pay themselves," one person commented.
Though replies on the X post featuring Ruffalo's message were overwhelmingly negative, the actor was widely praised in the comments section of his original post on Instagram.
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"Thank you for your compassion and leadership, Mark," one fan wrote.
"Mark Ruffalo I am so proud of you all the time thank you," another agreed.
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"Thank you Mark Ruffalo for using your voice and influence for the right things," one Instagram user commented.
"Hulk will forever be the strongest avenger, onset and off," a fan chimed in as another added, "Mark we love you."
Some Instagram users took to the comments to explain why they agreed with Ruffalo's stance.
"We started taxing the rich in MA and it’s been amazing," one commenter wrote. "We have school meals for all kids, continuing education for those that want it, great healthcare, among other things. And instead of losing millionaires, we have more that moved here. It works!"
"The wealthy didn’t get rich in isolation," another argued. "Infrastructure, labor, and public systems built that wealth. Fair taxation is not punishment. It’s accountability."
Last month, Ruffalo joined nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires, including Disney heir Abigail Disney and British musician Brian Eno, in signing an open letter urging world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos to raise taxes on the ultra-rich, arguing extreme wealth concentration harms democracy and deepens inequality.