They control the budget, they control the courts and they control the military. Keep in mind, it's not just about domestic power, it's also about stopping someone like Trump from cancelling all their foreign plans. The main reason they want to control the US is so they can use it to project power over the rest of the world.
If the states are ready to pony up and actually secede or starve them of taxes then great. If not then they've won everything they actually want.
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