{
  "id": 8089105,
  "title": "Hilton on courting California's Trump haters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/hilton-on-courting-californias-trump-haters",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T19:47:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/09/17/2026/hilton-on-courting-californias-trump-haters"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Steve Hilton, the Republican governor of California candidate, is grappling with the challenge of leveraging his endorsement from President Donald Trump in a state where Trump lost by 20 points in the last election. In an interview with Semafor, Hilton pointed out that while millions of moderate Democrats and independents in California dislike the president, they are eager for a change. In a recent ad, Hilton appealed to this sentiment, stating, \"Maybe you hate Trump. Maybe you hate Republicans. I don't care. Politicians screaming doesn't lower gas prices. Our utility bills are insane. Life here has become impossible for anyone who isn't already rich. We are going to fix that.\"\n\nDespite the challenge, Hilton sees Trump's support as a boon for his campaign, especially with the Republican base. Currently, Hilton trails Democrat Xavier Becerra by a wide margin. Hilton faces another balancing act on the issue of artificial intelligence. California is the hub of leading AI research labs, but the majority of state residents share an anti-data center sentiment. In his stance on AI safety, Hilton aligned more closely with Trump, criticizing the \"completely ludicrous hysteria\" over AI and advocating for the technology's economic opportunities rather than rushing into new regulations. \"Panic-driven policymaking usually ends in disaster with a whole bunch of unintended consequences,\" Hilton warned. \"I would favor the opportunity side of the argument rather than the doom side.\"",
  "summary": "Steve Hilton, the Republican nominee for governor of California, is working to make the most of an endorsement from Trump as the president’s popularity wanes.",
  "key_points": [
    "Hilton, a Republican candidate in California, aims to appeal to Trump haters.",
    "Hilton sees Trump's support as beneficial for his campaign, especially with the Republican base.",
    "Hilton aligns with Trump's stance on AI, advocating for economic opportunities over regulations."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}