Steve Hilton: This is a TOTAL disaster

Votes are still being counted in California's governor's race, with early indicators that Republican Steve Hilton could secure the second spot on November's ballot.

A massive feat.The deep blue state hasn't seen a serious Republican challenger in years.So what makes this year different?

California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton joins us now, Steve.Welcome and congratulations.I have been talking for weeks on this show That I've seen your work ethic up front and and I think that has a lot to do with it But as hard as you've been working And you certainly have as a candidate a lot of the credit goes to the Democrats.They've just What say you You're right.

It's a total disaster.16 years of Democrat one -party rule.We've ended up with the highest poverty rate, highest unemployment rate, highest cost of living in the country.Everywhere you look, crime, chaos, homelessness, the high -speed rail.They can't finish.And now they can't even count votes properly.

And that's what's so laughable about it.This election shambles, this fiasco where they're saying it's going to be like another month before we know the result fully.It's just an example of how these people can't run anything properly.It's a terrible combination, actually, of complete incompetence and ideological extremism.You've got the far left insanity.and utter uselessness.

And that's why we've ended up where we are.And I think you're right.Californians are desperate for change.There's a poll in the California Post just about a week ago.A majority, 56 percent of Californians think the state is going in the wrong direction.That's why I'm actually really confident.

I know that it's People look at California and think, how's a Republican going to win?Actually, I'm very confident we can win once I'm officially in the top two.And I think that is going to happen.I think there's no way, really.

Yeah.party that believes the government is the answer, is the solution to every problem.You would think, if your argument was that the government is the answer to every problem, you'd be really good at it.But it turns out they're terrible at it.

Exactly.And, of course, we're paying for it.We have the highest taxes in the country for literally the worst results.And they don't seem to see the contradiction that if actually they want to prove—sometimes I put it this way.They've had 16 years.to show us that their ideas can work.

And they've had nothing stopping them.They've had all the statewide offices.They've had both chambers of the state legislature with a two -thirds majority.They can literally pass anything they want.They've run all the big cities, all the big counties.They have the state Supreme Court, 6 -1 Democrat majority.

And yet still they can't do it.Still the homelessness gets worse and worse despite the billions that they spend.So it's just...And here's the lesson for the rest of the country.California today is what you get when Democrats get everything they want.Vote accordingly.

So, Steve, let's show our viewers the top state issues named by Californians.You can see at the top of it, cost of living, economy, inflation, followed by housing cost availability, and then government in general is down at 9%.You are here saying today you are confident that you can win if you advance to a head -on -head with Becerra.but why are you confident?What's different about what you're going to do to address those concerns and other policies you want to bring that gives you that confidence?

Well, it's actually a combination of what Rachel said, which is we've just been working very hard.No one's seen a campaign like this in California for at least 20 years.And what we're saying, which is positive, practical things to cut your costs, help your business, fix our schools, it's actually very similar to the way in which President Trump achieved his political revolution across the country, the multiracial working class coalition.If you look at my plans, it's practical things for working people.Your first hundred grand tax -free, $3 gas, no tax on tips, which in most states, the federal no tax on tips has been implemented for state taxes, not in California.I'll get that done.

A home you can afford to buy when we get rid of the ridiculous regulations on housing.Your electric bills cut in half when we open up energy production and use natural gas to generate electricity in California instead of being obsessed with windmills.You know, there's just common sense things.And people are really responding to that.And so on the other side, you've got this guy, Javier Becerra, who was even the Biden administration thought he was incompetent.I mean, how useless do you have to be be forgiven.

with a state.He can't be entrusted with a child.I want to talk about this because Newsom, Governor Newsom famously said he has a quote secret break the glass plan to preventCalifornia from electing a Republican governor.He signed a law that stated that mail -in ballot signatures do not have to match.I've noticed, and we've been talking about it for a while, Steve, that there's a lot of quiet voters.

I mean, I think there's a lot of voters for you and for Steve and for Pratt who aren't aren't going to tell the pollsters that they're voting for you because it's California.And they're afraid to do that.And so they're just whispering to people they trust that they're doing that.He says he has a secret break the glass plan.What's your secret break the glass plan here to win?

Well, just to be to work much harder, even than the pace we've already been going.It's a big state.And that's why literally the day after Election Day, I was up in Sacramento press conference meeting with the party leaders.We had a rally in the evening.The next day, San Francisco roundtable with small business owners yesterday, hitting them on this election fiasco.Today, a Latino small business restaurant.

You know, we're not going to stop.it's going to be relentless because we got to save California.But the other point that everyone makes, I hear all the time from the media here, they say, oh, how are you going to win in California?You're endorsed by President Trump.And of course, the vice president endorsed me as well on the day of the election.I always say, I'm proud to have the president's endorsement.

It's going to be incredible to have a governor of California who wants to work with the president and his team to get common sense things to happen here in our state, like expanding energy and managing our forests and fighting fraud in the Medicare system and all that kind of stuff.But more than that, they seem to forget more people voted for President Trump in California than any other state.6 .1 million people in 2024.That's more than enough to elect me governor this year.And so I just think all the pundits, especially all the arrogant kind of ruling elite here in California, they've got it completely wrong.They don't know what's about to hit them.

And I'm very confident we can pull this off in November this year.

So one final thing.I know you're 100 % focused on winning California, and that's where your entire focus is.But you're also a very smart political analyst.How important is it for Republicans running across the country for you to be on that ballot and having the debates that only you will be bringing to Javier Becerra in that general election?

Oh, it's going to be huge because we're going to prosecute the case against Democrat policies and ideas and governance.And actually, there's a national implication.We've got House seats in California that Gavin Newsom thought he had rigged with his redistricting scheme last year.Actually, if we have a really strong showing in the governor's race, that lifts up all the other Republican candidates.We've got voter ID on the ballot here in November.combination of voter ID, strong campaign from me.

We can win some House seats in California.That'll help, of course, the president and everyone else in Washington.

Steve, we've got to go.I just have a really quick question.Have you and Pratt been working together in any way, like, you know, kind of to help each other out?

I know Spencer.Of course, I endorsed him on day one when he launched his campaign.I was right there.We both spoke together.Honestly, we've been rushing around doing our own thing.But we've got some overlap in our teams, and we've completely aligned on what we want to do.

He's got a slightly different race because it's nonpartisan for the mayor's race in L .

A.Yeah, of course.Well, Steve Hilton, thank you so much for fighting the common sense fight.Thanks, Steve.

Yeah.Thank you, Steve.Great to be with you.

Thank you.

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