Political commentator Steve Hilton and Fox News host Jesse Watters discussed California policies related to state spending, prison programs, and benefits provided to certain groups, focusing on concerns about taxpayer costs and broader policy priorities.
Hilton said recent findings related to spending in California prisons have raised concerns about how taxpayer funds are being used. He pointed to programs involving inmates who identify as transgender, describing services that he said are funded by the state.
“Here’s one that we’ve uncovered, prisoners in California, prisons, trans prisoners, the ones that Kamala took such great pride in giving them what they wanted at the taxpayers’ expense,” Hilton said.
He said those services include a range of personal care treatments.
“They now get sent to beauty treatments, beauty treatments for trans prisoners, leg waxing, you name it,” Hilton said. “They get this is real, and there’s much more to uncover.”
Hilton said the issue is part of a broader effort to examine state spending through a project he described as an investigative initiative.
“Two months ago, I set up Cal Doge to dig into all this,” he said. “You got we’re doing it. Rufos, doing it. James O’Keefe, Nick Shirley, of course, the Vice President fraud Task Force.”
He said the findings are contributing to frustration among residents.
“It’s all adding up to total rage building in California,” Hilton said. “This is what they’re doing with our money.”
Hilton also referenced California’s tax structure, saying residents are paying more while receiving what he described as fewer results.
“We pay the highest taxes in the country for the worst results,” he said. “And now we know why this is where it’s going.”
He said he expects the issue to influence upcoming political outcomes in the state.
“It’s another reason why I’m really confident I’m going to kick them out this year,” Hilton said.
Watters responded by discussing the cumulative cost of certain programs and how they affect taxpayers over time.
“I hope so,” Watters said. “I mean, but there’s a lot of guys in California that are like, All right, we’re giving some migrants a new pair. Not that bad, but it adds up.”
He pointed to specific examples of medical procedures that he said could cost significant amounts.
“I mean, it’s like, what is it? 10 grand, 20 grand for breast implants,” Watters said. “You are going to soak the taxpayers in California, soak them.”
Hilton said that beyond the costs, there is growing frustration among legal immigrants who he said feel they are being treated differently under current policies.
“But it’s also the, you know, I mean, I talked to legal immigrants in California the whole time,” Hilton said. “They’re furious about this.”
He described concerns about benefits provided to individuals in the country without legal status.
“You go down the grocery store, they you’ve got illegal immigrants, taxpayer expense,” Hilton said. “EBT cards to pay for their groceries, free cell phones.”
Hilton said these benefits extend to housing assistance as well.
“They get their rent paid,” he said. “It’s just on and on.”
He summarized his view of how policies are being applied.
“The basic rule under Newsom’s, California and the Democrats, is, if you break the law and do the wrong thing, you get rewarded,” Hilton said. “If you follow the law and do the right thing, you get punished.”
Hilton said addressing these concerns would require policy changes moving forward.
“That’s what’s going on,” he said. “That’s what we got to turn around.”
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