President Donald J. Trump recently congratulated Republican candidate Steve Hilton on placing first in California’s gubernatorial primary, pledging federal support for his campaign if Hilton secures the November election. The statement, posted on Truth Social, emphasized Hilton’s leadership and asserted that Californians would “watch their State get better at a rate that has probably never been seen before.”

As of late Tuesday, slightly over half of California’s vote had been counted in the primary, with Hilton holding 27.8% of the total. Current results show Hilton leading former Democratic candidate Becerra by a narrow margin—Hilton with nearly 1.2 million votes compared to Becerra’s 25.7%. Progressive billionaire Tom Steyer trails at 19.8%, while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco remains in fourth place with 11.2%.

Hilton, a former Fox News host, described California voters as “ready for change” and criticized Democratic politicians for becoming “arrogant,” stating they would face “a big shock.” He also addressed President Trump’s remarks on social media, noting concerns about the ballot-counting process, including delays in processing mail-in ballots arriving up to a week later.

With less than half of precincts fully reported, California officials are still finalizing whether Hilton will advance to a November runoff election against the top two finishers. The outcome remains uncertain as ballot counts continue.