Steve Hilton pressed Xavier Becerra to "man up and show up" for a televised debate after an interview with Inside California Politics. He conceded long odds in the November governor's race but said victory is still possible, citing polls that leave more than a quarter of voters undecided. Hilton defended accepting Donald Trump's endorsement while explicitly saying "Biden won" the 2020 election, and he addressed concerns about migrant children, AI campaign ads, and his top policy priorities.
Hilton Demands Televised Debate With Becerra, Says Victory in California Is Still Possible
Steve Hilton on Inside California Politics
Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor and a former Fox News host, pressed Democratic front-runner Xavier Becerra to accept a televised debate following a sit-down interview in Sacramento with Inside California Politics host Nikki Laurenzo.
Hilton acknowledged the long odds he faces in November, calling himself "very realistic" about the challenge while insisting defeat is not inevitable. "I don't think it's impossible," he said, arguing that Becerra's support is "soft" and pointing to polls that show more than a quarter of California voters remain undecided.
Hilton criticized Becerra for declining debate invitations from multiple outlets and singled out Nexstar — which hosted a primary debate earlier this year — for proposing a general election debate between the two candidates. He called Becerra's refusal "outrageous" and added that skipping debates is "insulting to the voters."
"It's our democracy; debates are a part of that. You've gotta see the arguments of the two candidates… It's insulting to the voters." — Steve Hilton
Building on a recent full-page ad in the San Francisco Chronicle, Hilton sought to appeal to anti-Trump voters: "He's not running for governor, I am." He described himself as "a pragmatic, problem-solving guy with business experience, government experience," and emphasized that he is "not an ideologue" who will tell people how to live.
On former President Donald Trump's endorsement, Hilton said he did not regret accepting it, arguing that a productive relationship between California's governor and the White House can help the state both make deals and push back when appropriate. At the same time, he rejected Trump's false claims about the 2020 election:
"I've said very clearly that Biden won that election."
Hilton also discussed other campaign themes, including criticisms of Becerra's record regarding migrant children, his own use of AI-generated campaign ads, and his biggest policy promises. During the interview he outlined his approach as focused on pragmatic solutions rather than ideological battles.
Watch the full episode via Inside California Politics for the complete interview and exchanges.
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