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Trump-Backed CA Gov. Candidate Steve Hilton Distances Himself from President’s ‘Rigged’ Election Claims
Mediaite ^ | June 9, 2026 | David Gilmour

Posted on 06/09/2026 7:56:21 AM PDT by Miami Rebel

Steve Hilton, the Republican gubernatorial candidate backed by President Donald Trump, publicly distanced himself from the president’s claims that California’s election results were “rigged” as he argued his team had “seen nothing” to suggest this was the case.

Speaking on CNN’s OutFront on Monday, Hilton was pressed by host Erin Burnett on Trump’s repeated allegations, without evidence, that both the California governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral contest were “crooked” and “rigged.”

“Just in terms of where you stand, are you worried that there’s fraud right now? Or are you just frustrated that the count is slow, but that you believe the process is fair?” Burnett asked.

“Yeah. So look, there’s so many things wrong with the system. I’ve been saying all along that we take it very seriously because we don’t want to let people down and we’ve been very vigilant on it,” Hilton said.

He continued: “We’re keeping an eye on it. We’ve got teams standing by, lawyers standing by, and actually it’s the same answer that actually I’ve been giving for a few days now, we’ve seen nothing that would give us cause to intervene in that way.”

“But more importantly than that, Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney, who’s actually got the full weight of the Justice Department, and he’s there, and he’s taking a look at it. And I trust that if there is anything that needs to be investigated, that he will make sure it happens,” he added

Hilton, however, reiterated his belief that the “whole system needs to be improved” and said that he had offered California Governor Gavin Newsom suggestions on how to “speed things up.”

“One of the reasons it’s so slow is that it’s done county-by-county, there just aren’t enough people in the offices doing the counting. One reason for that is because you’ve got a lot of complexity, a lot of signature verification. One way around that we can actually vote for in November in California, voter ID that would remove the need for all the signature verification that would really speed things up. So there’s a lot of sensible things we could do to avoid this kind of fiasco,” he said.

He said that the slow pace was “making California look like a laughingstock around the world” as he advocated for “positive” and “practical” changes to speed up the counting process and “to prevent the opportunity” for people to look at the state’s elections and suspect there’s “something fishy.”


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: california; hilton
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It pays for Hilton to use measured, circumspect language at this point, insofar as there'll be no revisions in the election process between now and November. Pressing hard on the "rigged" argument would make it seem as if his campaign is doomed and pointless. Having Essayli engaged should be a plus.
1 posted on 06/09/2026 7:56:21 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: Miami Rebel

It’s going to be rigged against him in November


2 posted on 06/09/2026 8:00:04 AM PDT by aynrandfreak (Being a Democrat means never having to say you're sorry)
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To: Miami Rebel

He said he trusted the people looking into it. The headline is a bit deceiving.


3 posted on 06/09/2026 8:04:42 AM PDT by Cats1
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To: Miami Rebel; Red Badger; thinden

This is the appropriate move...


4 posted on 06/09/2026 8:09:02 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (The Democrats' official policy is now, “Hate, Violence and Murder". Change my mind.)
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To: Miami Rebel
...his team had “seen nothing” to suggest this was the case.

Wait until November.

5 posted on 06/09/2026 8:13:48 AM PDT by Tommy Revolts
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To: Cats1
The headline is a bit deceiving.

Really?? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you...

6 posted on 06/09/2026 8:15:04 AM PDT by pfflier
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To: aynrandfreak

of course.....he’ll be singing a different tune then...


7 posted on 06/09/2026 8:17:29 AM PDT by wny
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To: Miami Rebel

It’s not rigged if no laws were broken. The fraud is legal under California election laws.


8 posted on 06/09/2026 8:20:21 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Miami Rebel

He will be eaten last.


9 posted on 06/09/2026 8:23:16 AM PDT by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: going hot
He will be eaten last.

Exactly

10 posted on 06/09/2026 8:26:10 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Miami Rebel

Do you think 2020 was stolen
Just a simple
I won’t challenge
Just curious


11 posted on 06/09/2026 8:26:11 AM PDT by wardaddy (If u hate Trump you’re stupid or clueless and what’s going on We’re fighting for our civilization s)
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To: Miami Rebel

It seems to be official Republican policy to not worry about election fraud until it’s too late. Hilton is OK today, so he’s not worried. After the general election, when those results “seem odd”, he will have concerns, but it will be too late.


12 posted on 06/09/2026 8:30:09 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Enoch Powell warned us about Rivers of Blood. Well, I sure hope they're coming. It's the only fix.)
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To: Miami Rebel

If elections are not rigged, explain this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9s1z8RluA


13 posted on 06/09/2026 8:30:28 AM PDT by econjack
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To: Miami Rebel

14 posted on 06/09/2026 8:37:58 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all. )
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To: GSWarrior
" The fraud is legal under California election laws."

...for now. We expect and hope the Supremes rule this week on mail-in, dates, cures, etc..... which could affect November's elections.

Bitching now does nothing to save Pratt, who likely couldn't win a general in LA anyway. Pratt would have bloodied Bass however. And, perhaps DOJ will find some evidence

15 posted on 06/09/2026 8:40:32 AM PDT by chiller ( Davy Crockett said:"Be sure you're right, then go ahead." I'll go ahead.)
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To: Miami Rebel
Mediate running cover for Democrats ballot fraud again?
Yup.
Here's Hilton on video on X trashing the terrible vit8ng procedures in California.

🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Governor candidate Steve Hilton just revealed the stunning reality of California fraud: They ALLOW mail-in ballots to BACKDATE by HAND so they can be counted late, and not invalid

“It's NOT just the postmark. YOU CAN HAND-WRITE THE DATE!”

“Just to be really clear: you can BACKDATE YOUR BALLOT.”

“BY HAND.”

“And it will be counted.”

“That's how insane this system is.”

This is MADNESS!! 🤯

BILLY BUSH: “That is OUTRAGEOUS.”

@hotmicsbilly

https://x.com/i/status/2064095211454603724

16 posted on 06/09/2026 8:43:00 AM PDT by SmokingJoe
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To: wny
of course.....he’ll be singing a different tune then...

Well, it does list David Gilmour as the writer.

17 posted on 06/09/2026 8:45:00 AM PDT by libertylover (The HBM (Has Been Media) is almost all AGENDA-DRIVEN and HATE-DRIVEN, not-truth driven)
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To: Miami Rebel

CA, nope no rep will ever win a state election.


18 posted on 06/09/2026 8:46:16 AM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest ewish:-)of US;-))
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To: Miami Rebel
More fraud.

James O’Keefe (watch the video on X) :

🚨Los Angeles Election Fraud Caught on Hidden Camera

LA election petitioners were caught on tape giving homeless individuals other voters’ information, instructing them to forge voter names and signatures, and offering cash and drugs as incentives to register to vote.

https://x.com/i/status/2064086886591631752

19 posted on 06/09/2026 8:48:32 AM PDT by SmokingJoe
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To: aynrandfreak

That is why he was allowed to get this far.

There can be no honest, not fair -just honest, election if mailin ballots are involved. Not absentee, those are vetted with an ID.


20 posted on 06/09/2026 8:53:37 AM PDT by bobbo666
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