5% of the US GDP is a massive chunk? California alone is like 3x that. Florida by itself is more than that. Save for Massachusetts, every other state in New England is virtually irrelevant compared to any other state in terms of contribution to GDP. Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine all account for less than half, or less than a quarter, percent each. They all contribute less, and in some cases less than half, what the city of DC does.

I lived in Mass for years and if theres one thing I learned while I was there its that New Englanders have an incredibly delusional sense of regional superiority. New England wouldnt even be able to feed itself without all the places it calls “flyover” states lmao