Steve Hilton says the ad was a satirical way to make a point and asks critics for grace
Steve HiltonRepublican candidate for governor of California
In an X video posted on Saturday evening, October 3 (Pacific time), Hilton said the reaction to the first ad had been overwhelmingly positive and that many viewers may also have been offended. He said the campaign was trying to make a point "in a provocative way, in a satirical way" and that no one was trying to offend anyone. He said it grieves him that viewers were upset, and he asked for "grace" as well as understanding.
Responding to
Steve Hilton said the Just Try It ad was an attempt to make a point in a provocative, satirical way, and that no one was ever trying to offend anyone.
“But it's also true that many people, many of you, may have been offended by that ad. Now, of course, that was never anybody's intention. We were trying to make a point in a provocative way, in a satirical way. No one was ever trying to offend anyone. But I know that many of you were offended, and I've had those conversations, and it grieves me to understand how that made you feel. And I really want to say to you very directly that I get it, and I understand it, and it grieves me that you've been upset by this. But I also want to ask you to understand what we are doing, why we're doing it, and to ask for some grace as well as understanding.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Was Steve Hilton's "Just Try It" campaign ad appropriate?
On October 1, 2026, Republican candidate for governor Steve Hilton posted a 53-second ad titled Just Try It, California. Two young women sit in a dimly lit bedroom, one coaxes the other to try something new, and the scene ends with a mail-in ballot marked for Hilton over Democrat Xavier Becerra. Sonja Shaw and Michael Gates, who have campaigned alongside Hilton, and the pastor Jack Hibbs criticized the ad, Democrats including Rep. Robert Garcia denounced it, and Hilton and Spencer Pratt defended it. Hilton said the campaign was trying to make a point in a provocative, satirical way and that it grieves him that some viewers were upset. The dispute is over whether the ad was an appropriate way to campaign.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
A 4 minute 37 second video posted at 5:01 p.m. Pacific on Saturday, October 3, 2026 (00:01 UTC on October 4), under the text "A word on our new campaign, 'Just Try It!', and the reaction to it:". Hilton speaks to the camera about the campaign, the reaction to the first ad, and the choice between him and Becerra. The quotation is our transcription of the audio.
Before the quotation
Hilton posted the first ad on October 1 and a second on October 2. Sonja Shaw and Michael Gates, who have campaigned alongside him, and the pastor Jack Hibbs had criticized the first ad publicly before he posted this video, which runs about four and a half minutes.
After the quotation
Hilton goes on to say the campaign will do some things voters love and some they may not love, and that the aim is to speak to Democrats and independents as well as Republicans. He then turns to Xavier Becerra and the choice in the election.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether the Just Try It ad was an appropriate way to campaign. Hilton defends the ad as a provocative, satirical way to make a point and says the reaction to it was overwhelmingly positive. He says it grieves him that viewers were upset, but he does not say the ad was wrong, and he says more ads in the series are coming. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, because he acknowledges the offense. We used Defended or excused because the regret he expresses is for how viewers felt, not for the ad itself.
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More from this case
Read the full caseJack Hibbs calls the Hilton ad grotesque and insensitive but says he will still vote for Hilton
“Steve Hilton's "Try It" ad? Grotesque. Insensitive. Somebody on his team made an ignorant decision, and I'm furious. But for California's greater good, for your good, I'm still voting for Steve. His policies are statesmanship-like. No one matches him. This election, from the top of the ballot down, needs your vote for TEAM RED because Team Blue has destroyed this with 100% total control of California for over sixteen years now.”Read statement
Becerra campaign spokesman Jonathan Underland calls the Hilton ad creepy
“MAGA is melting down over Steve Hilton's creepy ad because they're finally seeing him for the sellout he really is, willing to abandon his own twisted values to get ahead.”Read statement
Rep. Robert Garcia calls the Hilton ad bizarre and desperate
“This is a bizarre and desperate ad from a person who has attacked the LGBTQ+ community and stands with Donald Trump.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Steve Hilton says the ad was a satirical way to make a point and asks critics for grace
- First published
- Last updated
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/4892-in-an-x-video-posted-on-saturday-evening
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Steve Hilton says the ad was a satirical way to make a point and asks critics for grace". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4892-in-an-x-video-posted-on-saturday-evening