President Trump has thrown his weight behind conservative commentator Steve Hilton in California's gubernatorial race, backing the former Fox News host's mission to expose and dismantle what critics call the Golden State's $400 billion fraud machine.
Hilton, the British-born former senior adviser to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and ex-host of "The Next Revolution," is positioning himself as the outsider candidate who can finally drain California's swamp of sky-high taxes, radical left-wing policies, and staggering levels of government waste that have driven millions of Americans to flee the state.
"Steve Hilton discusses campaign for California governor after securing Trump endorsement," posted social media user Michael Rollo, sharing news of the high-profile endorsement that has sent shockwaves through the Republican field.
But not everyone is celebrating. Some political observers worry the Trump endorsement could backfire in deep-blue California. "Hilton accepted President Trump's endorsement and I think this will hurt his chances of winning in California far more than it will help him," tweeted Coby Marcum. "I planned in advance to pass on a Trump endorsement if it was offered to me because I believe it ends a campaign in CA."
Another critic argued the endorsement could split the Republican vote: "Trump endorsing Steve Hilton for California Governor will make it even far more difficult for the other Republican to get in the top two position for November."
However, Hilton appears undeterred by the conventional wisdom that says Republicans can't win in California. The Silicon Valley entrepreneur is betting that fed-up Californians are ready for a conservative revolution after years of Democrat mismanagement have turned the Golden State into a cautionary tale of progressive governance gone wrong.
With California's primary system allowing the top two vote-getters to advance regardless of party, Hilton is banking on his outsider credentials and Trump's backing to break through the establishment noise.
Can a Trump-endorsed conservative really save California from its radical left captors? Patriots across the nation will be watching to see if the Golden State is ready for a political earthquake.