Oct 16, 2026 · 1h 29m
Steve Hilton pitches a California reset on Bongino’s show
This Can't Be Real Life (Ep. 2618) - 10/16/2026
The episode connects national conservative arguments about Trump, economics, faith, guns, and family to a concrete campaign agenda for California.
- 1Steve Hilton frames California’s decline as a governance failure requiring tax relief, expanded energy production, and stronger public safety.
- 2Dan Bongino argues that Trump’s pragmatic political coalition remains central to MAGA support and Republican unity.
- 3The discussion treats faith, family, gun ownership, and voting as linked defenses against cultural and political disorder.
Don't miss
Steve Hilton lays out how tax relief, energy production, public-safety changes, and homelessness accountability would form his proposed California reset.
The brief
Dan Bongino opens with commentary on Elon Musk, Trump’s MAGA support, economic policy, gun ownership, faith, and family before turning to California’s gubernatorial race.
The episode’s central interview features Steve Hilton, who argues that California’s wealth and resources have been undermined by poor governance, disorder, and policies that weaken accountability.
Hilton proposes tax relief for the first $150,000 of income and expanded energy production, while describing a Republican coalition that includes independents and lifelong Democrats seeking change.
The sharpest policy clash concerns public safety: Hilton criticizes decarceration, repeat arrests, homelessness spending, and harm-reduction programs that he says leave residents and businesses exposed.
The episode closes by presenting California as a test of whether turnout, Republican coordination, and dissatisfaction with state governance can overcome the Democratic Party’s advantage.
Weekly email
State of the Pod, every Monday
The week's most-discussed names and stories from podcasts, with the moments behind them. Free, five minutes, unsubscribe in one click.