Surprising twist as Republican's racy ad trashed as 'grotesque' on the right

A "baffling" racy campaign ad from California's Republican nominee for governor drew cringing on CNN on Monday morning, even as one of its critics on the right says he's sticking with the candidate anyway.

"CNN This Morning" panelists Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist; Tiana Lowe Doescher of the Washington Examiner; and media analyst Sara Fischer picked apart "Just Try It, California," the latest spot from Steve Hilton, the former Fox News host Donald Trump endorsed in April. The campaign released it last week after Hilton's debate with Democrat Xavier Becerra. In it, two young women sit on a bed with a Pride flag behind them. One worries about her dad finding out, and the other takes her hand and offers to do all the work. The payoff is that she's guiding her friend's pen to mark a mail ballot for Hilton.

CNN reported that a Christian nationalist pastor said he had received hundreds of calls and texts about the spot. The pastor, Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, went on Facebook Live Saturday to tear into it, the Los Angeles Times reported. In remarks CNN aired, Hibbs demanded to know whose decision it was to make something so grotesque, and he described lesbianism among college and high school girls as a social ill of pandemic proportions. He framed the fight as one between good and evil, then said he wouldn't hold the video against Hilton.

"Yes, I'm voting for Steve Hilton. I'm not going to judge him with this stupid ad," Hibbs said.

Fischer saw that as a victory for Hilton.

"What a win! What a win. You have a Republican saying this is terrible, but I'm still voting for the guy," she exclaimed.

Conservatives weren't so forgiving, however. Michael Gates, the Republican running for attorney general who often appears with Hilton on the trail, condemned the ad on X for exploiting young women to score political points. Hilton defended the spot to the Times as provocative and funny, but within hours he released a video saying he regretted the pain it had caused some people. Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, meanwhile, raved about it.

The panel also compared the spot to a 2024 ad that told wives they could secretly vote for Kamala Harris. Lowe Doescher, who said she voted for Donald Trump, called the Harris ad sexist for suggesting husbands control their wives' ballots. She said Hilton's ad works because everyone is talking about it.

Hilton is no stranger to rough moments on the network. During a May primary debate on CNN, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan accused him of lying about his promise of $3 gas. Last month, Hilton told CNN's Kaitlan Collins his views on AI would get him in trouble.

The buzz comes as Becerra leads Hilton 58% to 33% in a recent Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll.