Trump Admits Asking Federal Prosecutor to Intervene in California Gubernatorial Primary

President Donald Trump admitted at a rally in Macungie, Pennsylvania, that he directly asked a federal prosecutor to investigate the California gubernatorial primary. Addressing his supporters, the president recounted calling U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, and telling him, "Do me a favor. Take a look, they are trying to steal that election, too."[1][4]

The unprecedented intervention occurred during the tense days following California's June 2 primary. Republican candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host endorsed by Trump, held an early lead on election night. However, as the state processed millions of mail-in ballots, Hilton began losing ground to Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer. California's notoriously slow vote count, which legally accepts mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day for up to seven days, routinely shifts toward Democratic candidates as the days pass.[3][5][6]

On June 5, just three days after the election, Essayli announced that his office had "multiple election fraud investigations underway." The Trump appointee claimed that the state's voter rolls included records of deceased individuals and lacked sufficient verification mechanisms to prevent undocumented immigrants from voting.[2][4][5]

The president publicly took credit for halting the Democratic vote shift, falsely claiming that his phone call to Essayli was the sole reason Hilton advanced. Trump told the Pennsylvania crowd that "about an hour after the call" from the U.S. Attorney's office demanding to check the votes, Hilton was declared the winner of the second runoff spot.[1][4]

Election officials and data analysts note that Hilton advanced simply because the math dictated it. When the dust settled, Democrat Xavier Becerra secured first place with 27.9% of the vote, while Hilton finished second with 24.9%, narrowly edging out billionaire Tom Steyer's 22.6%. Under California's "jungle primary" system, the top two vote-getters advance regardless of party, and the Associated Press called the race based on mathematical certainty, not federal intervention.[3][6]

California officials fiercely defended the integrity of their election system. Attorney General Rob Bonta blasted the president's allegations as a continuation of his history of lying about elections, stating, "In California, we believe that every vote should be counted, and that's what's happening right now." Secretary of State Shirley Weber echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that "accuracy comes before speed" when counting millions of ballots in the nation's most populous state.[3]

Hilton, who will now face Becerra in the November general election, has capitalized on the controversy by calling for a sweeping overhaul of California's election laws. He has proposed limiting mail ballots to only those who request them and enforcing a strict Election Day deadline for receipt. However, his own campaign acknowledged they had not seen evidence of fraud that would warrant legal action, despite the president's rhetoric.[2]

Legal and democratic advocates warn that Trump's admission is a glaring example of weaponizing the Justice Department for partisan gain. Organizations monitoring election integrity argue that a sitting president openly ordering a federal prosecutor to intervene in an ongoing state election crosses a fundamental democratic red line.[4]

The incident has heightened anxieties about federal interference in the upcoming November midterms, particularly in closely contested battleground states. The Justice Department has not commented on the specific scope of Essayli's investigations or whether any formal charges will be filed against California election workers or voters.[3][4][5][6]

Meanwhile, the Becerra and Hilton campaigns are gearing up for a highly polarized general election. Recent polling shows Becerra opening with a commanding 52% to 31% lead over Hilton, reflecting the state's heavy Democratic lean. Political analysts suggest that while Trump's intervention may have energized Hilton's conservative base, the president's deep unpopularity in California could ultimately hinder the Republican's chances in November.[3]