Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for California governor in 2026, told Newsmax on Tuesday that former Vice President Kamala Harris is a "total joke" after a statement in which she slammed President Donald Trump for activating the National Guard to quell rioting in Los Angeles while calling the protests "overwhelmingly peaceful."
Hilton also told "American Agenda" that Harris' "pandering" statement Sunday disqualifies her from ever holding public office again. Harris is mulling a run to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026 or launching another presidential bid in 2028.
"I'm sorry, but she's a total joke and an irrelevance," Hilton said. "What is she even talking about? Just like all the other machine politicians in California, she comes out as soon as she can with some pathetic pandering statement trying to appease her far-left activist base rather than taking a lead and standing up for the vast, law-abiding majority who just want standards of civilized behavior upheld.
"She has disqualified herself from public office, as far as I'm concerned, with that absolutely appalling statement."
Hilton agreed that the National Guard troops have been deployed to protect federal buildings as well as officials leading immigration enforcement efforts. The riots began Friday after raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that led to the arrests of more than 100 illegal aliens, many with criminal records.
The efforts are continuing in Los Angeles and nationwide as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
"I saw it for myself," Hilton said. "I was out right there at the federal building yesterday in the afternoon, and then again in the evening after the main bulk of the crowd had been dispersed. They're protecting federal property, and if they hadn't been there, I shudder to think what would have happened.
"You could see … the vile, disgusting graffiti on the federal building behind the National Guard. So, if they hadn't been there to protect it, who knows what would have happened?"
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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