Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra exchanged sharp words over immigration policy in what CNN described as their only debate ahead of the race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in the nation's most populous state.
The confrontation came as ballots go to voters, according to The Washington Times, which reported the two rivals clashed over homelessness, President Trump and other issues in the single debate of the campaign.
CNN, which hosted the event, reported that Hilton announced he would cap government fees and regulations on a new home in California at fifty thousand dollars if elected governor, while Becerra reiterated his goal to "at least double the rate of building homes."
According to CNN, Becerra said he disagreed with Hilton's proposal to make the first one hundred fifty thousand dollars of income completely tax-free for all California residents.
The exchange over that proposal turned personal. In video aired by CNN, Becerra told Hilton the plan would deliver tax breaks to the wealthiest Californians.
"What I said Steve, what I said Steve is that you shouldn't give the tax breaks to the folks who are making the most money," Becerra said. "In California, that's your plan. If you look at your plan, you're going to make across the board tax cuts. You're going to end up giving the wealthiest Californians, billionaires, a forty percent tax break, the biggest in California history."
Hilton responded that Becerra was misrepresenting his position and defended the proposal.
"Javier is right about that as well as I thought we're going to tax well as helping working people, the wealthiest as well as helping working people," Hilton said. "We need to bring jobs back to California right now because of your policies, we have the highest poverty rate and the highest unemployment rate in America. That's because high taxes have driven business out. So we need to incentivize jobs to be created in California instead of sending them to Texas."
Hilton added that he had not heard Becerra offer a plan for the cost of living.
"What I didn't hear was a single thing from Javier about how he would actually help people with the cost of living," Hilton said. "And in fact, if we continue with his policies, that's another eleven thousand and seventy four dollars a year extra."
Becerra shot back that Hilton was offering a repeat of Trump-era tax policy.
"What I wouldn't do with Javier, what I wouldn't do Steve, is try to convince the people of California that proposing Trump tax policies, promising Trump tax cuts, believing you're going to get better results than Trump has gotten so far to date," Becerra said. "That is what, but isn't it the definition of insanity, you do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. You're using Trump's like voting Democrat promises, you expect different results. You're going to end up with Trump results if you follow Steve Hilton's plans."
The immigration exchange drew the sharpest language of the night, according to the video posted by CNN. Asked whether he would direct California law enforcement to assist the Trump administration's mass deportations beyond dangerous criminals, Hilton answered yes.
"It's about enforcing the law," Hilton said. "I mean, the federal law is, immigration law is obviously a federal matter. And my whole aim here would be to lower the temperature. We've got to get this whole debate back to where most people want it to be, which is to prioritize the removal of dangerous criminals. That's not happening in California today. And that's because they're playing politics with the issue instead of protecting public safety. And that will be my priority."
Becerra answered by invoking Hilton's own immigrant background and accusing him of selective enforcement.
"Steve, you're running for governor of California and you'll enforce Trump's laws at the federal level, but you won't enforce state laws at our level," Becerra said. "California welcomed you into California and you welcomed ICE mercenaries into our state in return. How do you square that? You're an immigrant. I have fought all my life to make life better for immigrants, to represent them well, to defend them, to let them grow and build like my parents. But here's the problem I have with your policies. You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me. We need to have a governor who will protect everyone who works hard."
Becerra continued: "I don't need to stand here and listen to you say that you'll enforce Trump's laws, but you won't enforce California state laws. You're not enforcing and your party isn't enforcing California law as it is now."
Hilton called the remark out of bounds.
"And what a disgraceful remark that was," Hilton said. "I don't think people want to hear that kind of remark in a debate like this. Why would you deport every farmworker in California? Why only farmworkers? That's what you said. What people want to hear is solutions to their problems, not these unpleasant political attacks that don't help anyone."
On housing, Hilton laid out a three-part plan and announced the fee cap that CNN reported separately.
"Number one, the quickest way to reduce the cost of housing is for the government to stop making it more expensive," Hilton said. "A recent survey found that the average new home in California is subject to two hundred thousand dollars in government fees and regulations. I'm announcing tonight that I will cap that at fifty thousand. That is one hundred fifty thousand off the price of a new home. Secondly, we need to stop forcing apartment buildings into suburban areas and having all those battles between NIMBYs and YIMBYs when we've got so much space that we could be building in in California. And then the final part is to build, as we used to do in this state, the magnificent California dream, ten new cities. That's my plan, with counties bidding to host the construction of the new communities that will help young people follow their dreams here in California instead of having to move to another state."
Becerra said he would close the housing gap and described his approach.
"We will close the housing gap," Becerra said. "I've said already that we have to at least double the rate of building of homes. How much can we do? It just depends. How much red tape can we cut? How fast can we try to expand down payment assistance programs? How fast can we make sure Wall Street isn't outbidding the teacher or the firefighter for a home in California? We have to make sure we don't let Wall Street investors buy homes over those people who are working hard in California. And the final thing I'll do is what I did when I was AG. I will enforce the law that requires local governments to build."
CNN reported separately that the debate also covered artificial intelligence alongside taxes and immigration.
Commentator Tomi Lahren, posting on X as @TomiLahren, praised Hilton's performance. "Steve Hilton ATE tonight!" she wrote. "California, now is your chance. Don't piss it down your leg."
Other outlets framed the night differently. The New York Times described Becerra as a cabinet secretary in the Biden administration and Hilton as a former Fox News host, noting the two are vying to lead the country's most populous state and one of the world's largest economies. The Guardian characterized Hilton's campaign as a long-shot bid courting voters with what it called an unapologetically populist message, and quoted him saying, "Of course I'm the underdog." The Associated Press reported the debate was the only one scheduled in the campaign. The Los Angeles Times ran a live chat in which its columnists analyzed the exchanges.
It is not yet known how the debate will affect the race, or whether any further joint appearances will be scheduled before the election.
Our Take
Hilton walked into a CNN-hosted debate in a deep blue state and did exactly what a Republican running in California has to do: he put a number on the cost of government. Two hundred thousand dollars in fees and regulations on a new home, capped at fifty thousand, is a concrete promise voters can weigh against Becerra's promise to double the building rate and cut red tape. Only one of those answers explains why the house costs so much in the first place.
The immigration exchange will get the most attention, and it should. Becerra's line about welcoming immigrants who look like Hilton while deporting immigrants who look like him was a personal attack dressed up as policy, and Hilton was right to call it what it was. California voters who want their governor to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement got a clear answer from Hilton and a clear answer from Becerra, and the difference could not be starker.
The tax fight is where Becerra overreached. He accused Hilton of handing billionaires a forty percent break, but Hilton's headline proposal is making the first one hundred fifty thousand dollars of income tax-free -- a populist cut aimed squarely at working families crushed by the highest cost of living in the country. Becerra's answer was to say the rich should pay more and then accuse Hilton of being Trump. That is not a plan for the middle class. It is a plan for the donor class.
California has been run by Democrats for a generation. Homelessness is worse, taxes are higher, businesses are leaving and young families cannot buy a home. Becerra's closing argument boiled down to the definition of insanity -- keep voting Democrat and hope for a different result. Hilton offered something else. In a one-party state, that alone is worth a hearing.
