Trump claims credit as Steve Hilton advances in California governor race

Donald Trump said he called a federal prosecutor in California and asked, “Do me a favor. Take a look.” He then claimed, without evidence, that his intervention helped former Fox News host Steve Hilton advance in California’s governor race.

The California contest had already been shaped by the state’s top-two primary system, which sends the two highest vote-getters to the November 3 general election regardless of party. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, and Steve Hilton, a Republican, moved on from the June 2 primary in a field of 61 candidates, while Gov. Gavin Newsom was term-limited and could not seek re-election. The race drew 24 Democrats, 12 Republicans, one Libertarian, one Peace and Freedom candidate and 23 candidates with no party preference.

Trump’s comments also came after he had attacked the California count as “rigged” and “cheating” without evidence. Ballots continue to be counted for days or weeks after Election Night because most voters cast ballots by mail, and the results remain unofficial until certification. The California Secretary of State set the primary certification date for July 10, 2026.

The Justice Department’s Central District of California was pursuing multiple election-fraud investigations, and Bill Essayli, the office’s first assistant U.S. attorney, said on June 5 that it was working with the FBI and would follow the evidence wherever it led. A federal prosecutor also visited the Los Angeles County ballot processing center to observe ballot handling. That scrutiny landed in the middle of a system that routinely requires extended counting, including in Los Angeles County.

Hilton has pushed back on Trump’s fraud claims, saying his campaign had seen nothing that would justify intervention and that there was no evidence of rampant fraud. California Attorney General Rob Bonta called Trump’s allegations reckless and unfounded.