Republican Issues Warning To LA
Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is sounding the alarm about a new Los Angeles County policy that restricts federal immigration agents from wearing protective masks — a move he says endangers law enforcement and fuels California’s growing image as a state openly hostile to the rule of law.
Speaking on Newsmax’s “Saturday Report,” Hilton said Democrat officials are undermining law enforcement during a time when violence against federal officers is rising across the country.
“We have to uphold the rule of law,” Hilton said, stressing that Democrat leaders have turned California into a place where criminals feel protected and federal officers feel targeted.
Hilton: Newsom’s Attacks on Federal Agents Are “Grotesque”
Hilton sharply criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom, who refused to condemn Los Angeles County’s anti-mask restriction and instead accused federal officers of acting like a “secret police.”
Hilton said Newsom’s rhetoric is reckless, politically motivated, and dangerous.
“It is grotesque the way Gavin Newsom is hyping up this issue,” Hilton told Newsmax.
Hilton said federal agents often cover their faces for safety reasons, not secrecy — and that stripping them of that protection only emboldens violent criminals.
“When I’m Governor, California Will Enforce the Law Again”
Hilton promised a dramatic shift if elected governor.
“When I’m governor of California, I will work in partnership with the federal government to enforce the law.”
He said today’s immigration enforcement is simply the execution of laws already passed by Congress, yet California Democrats act as if public safety is optional.
Latino Families Tell Hilton: Media Lies About ICE “Fear” Are Not True
Hilton rejected claims that federal immigration enforcement is terrorizing communities in Los Angeles.
He described visiting a Latino neighborhood in East L.A. during a Christmas toy drive, where residents told him the media narrative is completely false.
“They said it’s not true at all. They don’t see any difference,” Hilton explained.
He added that many Latino families he spoke to are legal American citizens who support stronger immigration enforcement and are tired of taxpayer dollars being drained by people in the country illegally.
Massive Taxpayer Fraud in California: “A Thousand Times Worse Than Minnesota”
Hilton then pivoted to another major issue: California’s exploding government waste and welfare fraud.
He blasted a state initiative that encourages people to report federal agents — even as billions of taxpayer dollars vanish into corruption, scams, and mismanagement.
Hilton referenced massive fraud in Minnesota under Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, including criminal schemes that stole millions from welfare programs.
Then Hilton warned:
“Whatever’s happening in Tim Walz’s Minnesota, you can be sure it’s a thousand times worse in Gavin Newsom’s California.”
He pointed to:
- $55 billion in alleged unemployment fraud during the pandemic
- $24 billion in homeless spending with little to show for it
- State-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants while middle-class Californians struggle to afford coverage
Hilton said Californians — especially seniors and taxpayers on fixed incomes — are being taken advantage of by a government that refuses to control fraud or enforce the law.
Hilton Launches Califraud.com to Help Whistleblowers Come Forward
To fight corruption, Hilton announced a new tip line:
Califraud.com
“I want information from whistleblowers so that when I’m governor, I can put a stop to it.”
He said the site is designed to expose waste, abuse, and corruption at every level of state government — something he argues Newsom has refused to do.
