California Republicans set to deliver 'major blow' to Trump: report

Donald Trump's endorsement of Steve Hilton for California governor may not be enough to secure the state GOP's formal backing at this weekend's San Diego convention — a potentially devastating blow that would expose the limits of his influence with party grassroots.

According to a report from Politico's Playbook, Trump's support for Hilton is facing serious headwinds. Before Trump weighed in with an endorsement, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was widely accepted as the candidate closest to reaching the 60 percent margin needed for an official endorsement.

"I would have told you, going into the convention, that Bianco was within a stone's throw, but it wasn't clear to me if he would quite make that hurdle or not," said Jon Fleischman, the party's former executive director told Politico. "Now, I would tell you that it's going to be more difficult for him, because the president's endorsement does matter."

But Trump's endorsement may not be enough to deliver victory — or the party may reject both candidates entirely. The smart money among half a dozen strategists and delegates is that California Republicans will follow the path of California Democrats: fail to endorse in the primary altogether, described by Politico as "a major blow to Trump."

That outcome would represent a stinging rebuke of the president's influence with Republican grassroots, particularly given the backdrop of his unpopular Iran war and a worsening national political landscape for the GOP.

Fleischman emphasized that Trump's endorsement, while significant, is "not determinative, because both of these guys have spent over a year barnstorming the state, speaking to county Republican committees, clubs, organizations, meeting with legislators, getting endorsements."

The real test of Trump's power comes down to this: Hilton will maintain a primary advantage based on Trump's endorsement given the president's traditional sway with GOP voters. But if Bianco pulls off an endorsement victory — or even if he simply blocks Hilton from reaching 60 percent — it will be a significant repudiation of the president's influence with the party's grassroots.

Either outcome signals a weakening of Trump's grip on Republican Party machinery at a critical moment before the midterm elections, Politico is reporting.