He Was Satirized on British TV. Now He's Trump's Pick to Lead California.

[Zorro]

Steve Hilton grabbed headlines when he worked in conservative politics in Britain. His American political renaissance in the California governor’s race has bemused former British colleagues and rivals.

Earlier this year, the candidates for California governor were asked at a forum what they were watching on television. Steve Hilton, the Republican who is President Trump’s pick for the job, brought up a British political satire called “The Thick of It.”

“It’s from the producers of ‘Veep,’” he told the crowd, adding that it was “incredibly profane.”

“There’s a character that curses like you’ve never seen before.”

Then he got to his point.

“To my horror, there is a character based on me.”

Mr. Hilton, 56, is not the typical candidate vying to run one of the bluest states in America. A native of Britain, he served as the headline-grabbing right-hand man of Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California 14 years ago and becoming a Fox News pundit. Now, he is one of the leading contenders in Tuesday’s primary for California governor. The top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to November’s general election.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/31/us/steve-hilton-california-governor.html?unlocked_article_code=1.m1A.v8bU.EvBaDaKR5h-X&smid=url-share