California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Xavier Becerra evoked the specter of President Donald J. Trump repeatedly during a recent debate with Republican nominee Steve Hilton, as the state’s politics follow a depressingly familiar political pattern.
Becerra, who is unfortunately likely to be the next governor of the state, compared a wide variety of Hilton’s political views to Trump’s, without explaining what exactly was wrong with this. On immigration specifically, Becerra commented, “You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me,” referencing the fact that Hilton is originally from Great Britain. Of course, if the United States was dealing with problems from a large British immigrant underclass, this line would make slightly more sense.
Becerra also complained about Trump supposedly withholding funding for California’s homelessness problem, claiming that Hilton agreed with the move. The idea that California’s longstanding homelessness issue stems from Trump administration policy would be news to the state’s residents.
Throughout the debate, Hilton regularly pinned the state’s problems on Governor Gavin Newsom and the entrenched Democratic Party establishment, while Becerra stuck to anti-Trump bromides. Unfortunately, anti-Trump sentiment is at such a fever pitch in the state that such lines are likely effective, despite their mind-numbing nature. During the attempted recall of Gov. Newsom in 2021, some observers thought he might face a competitive fight, given the state’s dragged-out COVID restrictions. However, Newsom used similar anti-Trump rhetoric and beat back the recall with ease.
Hilton, for his part, did not directly answer a question on whether he would revoke California’s sanctuary state policies, despite previously praising Trump’s deportation campaign on FOX News earlier this year. He also cited reports claiming that Becerra’s Biden administration colleagues viewed him as an “idiot” during his time working as U.S. Health and Human Services Director.
Ultimately, though, Hilton faces the same uphill battle as any Republican statewide candidate in California regardless of how moderate or conservative of a campaign he runs. Without a wedge issue splitting the Democratic Party and peeling off some new Republican voters, victory is impossible. Hilton is right to pin blame the sclerotic Democratic establishment for a large amount of the state’s problems, but despite Becerra being a bland cipher for that same establishment, he’ll in all likelihood be the next governor. And no doubt, once he fails to fix the state’s problems, he will mumble something about it being all Trump’s fault.
