Steyer and Porter Attack Trump in California Governor Debate While Rivals Avoid Confrontation

Out of the seven leading candidates for California governor, only Tom Steyer and Katie Porter took direct aim at President Donald Trump during Tuesday’s debate.

CNN’s Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins first asked former Congresswoman Porter if her guiding principle in dealing with the president for his final two years in office would be “F–k Trump,” as she had previously stated in a campaign email blast.

Porter responded by stating that Trump has hurt California “again and again,” and that she will “absolutely stand up to him.” She doubled down on her previous rhetoric, adding, “If he’s going to attack California, yeah, ‘F’ him.”

Steyer, a hedge fund billionaire, expressed an equally heated sentiment during the debate. He blasted Trump as a “crook” and accused him of making life harder in California in multiple ways. Steyer specifically criticized Trump for the war in Iran and for “kicking people off healthcare,” stating, “He’s a bully, and the only thing you can do is stand up to him.”

Rivals Take Softer Stances on Trump

Steyer and Porter’s fellow gubernatorial hopefuls took far softer stances Tuesday night. Some even touted their close relationships with the president.

Republican candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by Trump, said that he would work closely with the Trump administration if elected governor. Meanwhile, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Collins and viewers at home that they would not hear “one word from me about Trump, Biden or anyone else.”

Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra defended his record of standing up to the president, citing that his time as California attorney general saw him go “toe to toe” with Trump in court over 120 times. However, he did not clarify his plans for future face-offs with the president.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said he also sued the Trump administration multiple times during his tenure as mayor. He highlighted increased funding for immigrant neighbors and prohibiting ICE from using “city property as a staging area.”

The best resistance is delivering results showing that California’s progressive values work in practice. Real results, not a lot of rhetoric – that’s not going to beat Donald Trump.

The two-hour debate was available to watch on CNN.

Moderators Collins and CNN’s Elex Michaelson ran a tighter ship than last week’s debate, controlling cross-talk and interruptions between candidates.