Steve Hilton Slams Gavin Newsom for Treating California As a Stepping Stone to the White House

Leading California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton blasted Gavin Newsom for using the Golden State as a stepping stone to the White House, arguing that the governor is unwilling to run on his California record as he repeatedly flip-flops on key policy issues that could shape support in a 2028 Democratic presidential primary.

Newsom is the most useless Governor in America — a man more obsessed with his presidential ambitions than the people he was elected to serve. While Californians drown in homelessness, flee skyrocketing taxes, and watch their cities burn, Gavin’s busy perfecting his hair and… pic.twitter.com/Uh9VxJDDWP
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) March 4, 2026

"It's confusing as to what platform he could possibly be running on," Hilton said.

You see the amount of people leaving the state because of high taxes. They've spent billions of dollars on the homeless situation there, but it's exploded instead. Drug addiction, exploding. I mean, crime going up, you name it. And yet he seems to be focusing on this left-wing radical ideology that even Democrats overwhelmingly do not believe that children should be mutilated and that they should not be chemically castrated. So how is it possible that he thinks he could be the next president of the United States here? It's incredible.

Not only is his record in California terrible, but on national platforms, it remains unclear whether Newsom plans to lean towards the moderate side of his party or embrace its progressive wing. To make matters even more confusing, Newsom has shifted several of his policy positions over the past year, from his stance on Israel to the issue of men in women's sports.

For example, in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attacks in 2023, he voiced support for Israel’s right to defend itself. Yet just this week, days into Operation Epic Fury, Gov. Newsom criticized Israel as an “apartheid state” and suggested the United States may need to reconsider its military support.

Newsom has gone full Mamdani.

He says the United States is being pushed by Israel into a position where it may “have to reconsider its military support,” and he’s now echoing the claim that Israel is an apartheid state.

The Democratic Party is dead.
pic.twitter.com/cebrsn1eU6
— raz sauber - רז זאובר (@raz_sauber_) March 4, 2026

He has also changed his position on the issue of men competing in women’s sports. In an interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, Newsom said he opposed it. However, over the past year, he has continued to resist the Trump administration’s efforts to ensure states prohibit the practice.

Charlie Kirk: “Would you say no men in women’s sports?”

Newsom: “I think it’s an issue of fairness… so that’s easy to call out, the unfairness of that.”@GavinNewsom finally acknowledges the harms of gender ideology on young girls.

Awesome job, @charliekirk11. pic.twitter.com/F8IF9PsZbR
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 6, 2025

"He's got the worst record. He's the most useless governor in America on every measure," Hilton went on.

We have the highest poverty rate in America, highest unemployment rate, highest cost of living for everything, gas, electric, insurance, housing, you name it, the most expensive in the country. And as you say, instead of fixing any of that, he's pushing this far-left ideology, and every single thing he does puts him on the wrong side of common sense. Just the other week, he was saying that he couldn't do anything about an evil child rapist being released early from prison. And he just stood there and said, I have nothing I can do about it. It's just unbelievable.

"The idea that this guy could be president is a joke," he added. "And we here in California need to tell the whole country just how bad he is, so we keep him away from the White House."

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