Debate Goes Awry for this CA Governor Candidate

An awkward exchange between California Republican gubernatorial candidates Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco turned into one of the most talked-about moments of Tuesday night’s CNN debate after moderator Kaitlan Collins confronted Bianco over past remarks accusing Hilton of “swindling” his way into the Republican Party.

The tense back-and-forth unfolded after Collins referenced earlier comments Bianco allegedly made about Hilton during the heated GOP primary race.

“I saw the two of you chatting earlier,” Collins began before turning directly to Bianco. “You’ve called him ‘unethical and dishonest’ and said that he is trying to ‘manipulate’ Californians and ‘swindled his way into the Republican side.’”

She then asked whether Bianco was effectively telling Republican voters they should not trust Hilton.

The sheriff appeared caught off guard by the question and initially denied using the word “swindled.”

“I don’t know where that came from,” Bianco responded. “I don’t think I’ve used the word ‘swindle,’ so I don’t know if you were quoting something or if you were saying that.”

Collins immediately pushed back by citing a quote from an April article in The Atlantic that referenced comments Bianco made during an interview with Bakersfield station KBAK-KBFX.

“I’ve never used the word ‘swindle,’” Bianco insisted again.

The exchange quickly became increasingly uncomfortable as Collins continued pressing him for clarification while reading the remarks aloud.

Bianco attempted to pivot away from the issue by framing the conflict as a normal campaign disagreement.

“Have Steve and I disagreed? Absolutely,” he said. “We’ve had quite big disagreements and battles in this election, because he’s running his campaign, I’m running mine.”

But Collins continued pressing him directly on whether he denied making the remarks.

“No, I’m saying that I don’t know where that came from,” Bianco replied. “I would never use the word ‘swindled.’ But the context — yes, I have said that. It’s unethical.”

He then added another confusing statement that appeared to further muddy the exchange.

“Right now, lying can get me removed from my job,” Bianco said.

Collins followed up immediately, asking him to clarify what he meant before reading the full quote from his March 2026 interview.

“You said he’s trying to figure out how he can ‘manipulate Californians to put him in this position at a time when we know that California Democrats have failed and we are going to vote for a Republican governor, and he has swindled his way into the Republican side, even though he’s not,’” Collins read aloud.

At that point, Bianco partially conceded the broader criticism while still disputing the wording.

“I probably did say that. I didn’t use the word ‘swindled,’ whatever it was,” Bianco said. “But that context, I will agree with that 100%.”

The nearly three-minute exchange highlighted the growing tension between the two Republicans, who are competing for support in a state where registered Republicans make up roughly a quarter of the electorate.

Recent polling from EVITARUS showed Hilton tied for first place with a Democratic candidate at 18%, while Bianco trailed at 14%, underscoring how divided the Republican field has become.

When Collins finally turned to Hilton for a response, the former Fox News commentator avoided escalating the dispute and instead redirected attention toward California Democrats and statewide issues.

“This is a very serious moment for California,” Hilton said. “We have a really big choice to make, which is: Do we go for another four years of one-party rule that’s given us the highest taxes for the worst results — the highest poverty rate, highest unemployment rate, highest cost of living, serious policy failures, and homelessness.”

Rather than attack Bianco directly, Hilton used the moment to pivot toward his broader campaign message focused on dissatisfaction with Democratic leadership in California.

Still, the exchange left Bianco struggling to explain comments that Collins repeatedly quoted back to him verbatim, creating one of the most memorable and uncomfortable moments of the debate.