Matt Mahan slams Trump endorsement of GOP rival Steve Hilton

Nypost · Apr 06, 2026 · 454 words · By Annie Gaus

California governor's race Immigration Policies Economic policy contrasts

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What to know about California governor's race

Matt Mahan slams Trump endorsement of GOP rival Steve Hilton President Donald Trump’s endorsement of former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race isn’t exactly high praise — according to one Dem rival.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left25%

Center50%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan ridiculed Trump’s “COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT” of Hilton on X, saying he’s running for governor to “do the opposite” if elected.

Common ground

“By endorsing Steve Hilton, Trump is telling Californians exactly what a Hilton governorship would look like: higher costs, a wrecked economy, and a Sacramento that does Trump’s bidding, opens the door to ICE, and attacks our communities instead of defending…

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this California governor's race story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan ridiculed Trump’s 'COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT' of Hilton on X, saying he’s running for governor to 'do the opposite' if elected?
How does this story connect California governor's race with Immigration Policies over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/06/us-news/matt-mahan-slams-trump-endorsement-of-gop-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

help Insufficient Evidence 6

verified Verified By Reference 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified

Claim 1: “San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan ridiculed Trump’s 'COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT' of Hilton on X, saying he’s running for governor to 'do the opposite' if elected.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

No evidence found in Wikipedia or other sources to confirm Matt Mahan’s specific criticism of Trump’s endorsement. The available Wikipedia entries discuss general election contexts but not this claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. In the presidential election, former Republican President Donald Trump, seeking a non-consecutive second term, defeated the incumbent Demo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_elections

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 California gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of California, with the statewide nonpartisan top-two primary election scheduled for June 2, 2026.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_gubernatorial_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 California lieutenant gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the lieutenant governor of California. Incumbent Democrat Eleni Kounalakis is term-limited and cannot s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_California_lieutenant_gub…

help

Claim 2: “The San Jose mayor’s campaign suffered a blow last week when top campaign aide Eric Jaye quit, citing a 'difference of opinion about strategy.'”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in any source to confirm or deny Eric Jaye’s resignation from Matt Mahan’s campaign.

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Claim 3: “A staunch critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom, Hilton has claimed he’ll slash gas taxes, cut red tape in housing production, and launch a DOGE-esque program to root out waste, fraud and abuse in California government.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in any source to confirm or deny Steve Hilton’s specific policy proposals.

verified

Claim 4: “Hilton has been gaining in the polls, consistently ranking at the top of statewide surveys on the fractured governor’s race — which has nine Dems competing against two Republicans, Hilton and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, raising fears of a Democratic lockout.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries mention the 2026 California gubernatorial election but do not reference Steve Hilton’s poll rankings. No other evidence confirms or denies this claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton (born 25 August 1969) is an English and American conservative political commentator, former political adviser, and contributor for the Fox News Channel. He served as direc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hilton

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Barron Hilton (October 23, 1927 – September 19, 2019) was an American business magnate, philanthropist and sportsman. The second son and successor of hotelier Conrad Hilton, he was the chairma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barron_Hilton

help

Claim 5: “Trump is unpopular in California, with two-thirds of voters disapproving of his immigration policies in a Los Angeles Times poll this month.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in any source to confirm or deny the Los Angeles Times poll on Trump’s immigration policies in California.

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Claim 6: “Mahan has racked up donations and support from Silicon Valley heavyweights but struggled to crack 5% in statewide polls as Dem voters flock to East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, billionaire activist Tom Steyer and former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in any source to confirm or deny Matt Mahan’s poll performance or competition from other candidates.

help

Claim 7: “Trump said Sunday he’s 'known and respected Steve Hilton' for years, calling him a 'truly fine man' who would clean up California.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in any source to confirm or deny Donald Trump’s specific comments about knowing Steve Hilton.

help

Claim 8: “He won 38% of votes in California in the 2024 presidential election.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in any source to confirm or deny Donald Trump’s 38% vote share in California during the 2024 presidential election.

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Claim 9: “President Donald Trump’s endorsement of former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race isn’t exactly high praise — according to one Dem rival.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent cross-references (The Guardian and Flipboard) confirm Donald Trump endorsed Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race. Wikipedia entries do not directly contradict this claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of presidential trips made by Donald Trump during 2025, the first year of his second presidency as the 47th president of the United States. This list excludes trips made within Washingt…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_trips_mad…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trumpism is the political ideology behind Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and his political base. It is often used in close conjunction with the Make America Great Agai…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpism

+ 2 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.