Steve Hilton And Xavier Becerra Clash In CNN California Governor Debate Over Trump, Taxes, AI

Debate Centers on Trump

Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra clashed nonstop for an hour in the sole televised debate for California governor, with both candidates framing homelessness, household costs and high taxes as central issues.

Becerra repeatedly invoked President Donald Trump during the CNN debate, saying, "You can hear Donald Trump" in Hilton’s responses, while Hilton told voters, "We’ve got to try something different."

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The debate unfolded days before mail ballots were expected to begin arriving at homes ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, as Hilton sought to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Becerra cast Hilton as President Donald Trump’s handpicked choice for the job, while Hilton portrayed Becerra as tied to the status quo and said Becerra has "no arguments and no solutions and nothing to say" about how California is run.

The candidates also traded attacks over immigration and AI, with Becerra saying, "You’re going to end up with Trump results if you follow Steve Hilton’s plans," and Hilton responding that Becerra was a "talking head" for Fox News.

SourcesAP NewsCalMatters

AI and Immigration Exchange

Hilton argued that Becerra was dodging California’s real problems, while Becerra repeatedly tied Hilton’s positions to Trump’s policies on immigration, taxes, housing, the environment and Big Tech. Hilton accused Becerra of offering only national politics, saying, "All you ever say is 'Trump, Trump, Trump,'" and Becerra replied, "You can hear Donald Trump in that response." The candidates clashed over immigration, with Becerra saying, "You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me," as Hilton shot back by calling the remark "disgraceful."

Hilton also said he would prefer to "turn down the temperature" on the immigration debate, while Becerra emphasized his own record and argued Hilton was tied to Trump’s agenda. On AI, Hilton said, "The first priority with this industry is to make sure we get all those jobs here in California," and Becerra countered that Hilton was not interested in regulating AI.

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SourcesCalMattersThe Guardian

What Stakes the Race

The debate set up a high-stakes contest to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, with the candidates arguing over how to reduce the cost of living and whether California should regulate AI more aggressively.

Hilton proposed eliminating the state income tax on the first $150,000 in earnings, while Becerra attacked the plan as a path to "Trump results" and warned it would harm education.

AI policy became a proxy for broader national conflict, with Hilton calling for an "immediate pause" on AI technology in classrooms and Becerra saying, "If you listen closely, you can hear Donald Trump in that response."

The candidates also argued over housing construction, with Hilton saying, "We have got so much space that we could be building in," and Becerra pointing to his lawsuit against Huntington Beach and saying, "No locality should have the right to try to stop all of our people in California from having the housing they need."

With polls showing Becerra with a substantial lead, the debate’s central question for voters remained whether Hilton’s Trump-linked agenda or Becerra’s promise to bring down household costs would define the next California governor’s term.

SourcesThe HillCNN