United States politics
The recordFiled October 17, 2026Checked October 17, 2026
Hilton's flat 8% rate cuts the richest filers' state income tax about 40%, and earners near $1 million about 35%.
Becerra says Hilton's plan gives "millionaires and billionaires" a 40% tax cut. The math holds at the very top. It's closer to 35% for someone earning $1 million, and anyone under $150,000 would pay no state income tax at all.
Left
Lean left · Left-leaning US article
Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton clash in CNN debate on economy, AI, and ICE raids in California governor’s race
Isaías Alvarado · October 1, 2026
“Steve is trying to convince the people of California that proposing Trump tax policies, promising Trump tax cuts” is the right path, Becerra said, criticizing the Republican candidate’s proposal for a 40% tax cut for millionaires , “the largest in California history.”
Right
Lean right · Right-leaning US article
Becerra, Hilton pull no punches during gubernatorial debate
Chris Woodward · October 1, 2026
Becerra added that Hilton wants to “give the richest Californians, millionaires and billionaires, a 40% tax cut” at the expense of matters such as schools, healthcare and housing.
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FP verdict
The main point holds, with a caveat.
Confidence score: 8/10 — Plan text and FTB schedules are published; the only uncertainty is how the plan treats the 1% surcharge and credits.
Sourced from Steve Hilton for Governor, the main point holds, with a caveat.
“He wants to give the richest Californians, millionaires and billionaires, a 40 percent tax cut, which means, of course, he will take it out of our schools, he will take it out of health care, he will take it out of housing, and make the conditions even worse.”
Hilton's own plan taxes income above $150,000 at a flat 8%. Today's top rate is 13.3% on income over $1 million. For the very richest filers, that cuts the state income tax bill by roughly 40%. For someone with $1 million in taxable income it's about 35%. The claim leaves out that the plan cuts everyone's state income tax, and wipes it out for anyone under $150,000.
Primary source: No State Income Tax on Your First $150,000 (campaign policy page) (Steve Hilton for Governor)
How the coverage differs
Based on the full articles
- Shared factsBoth report that at the Sept. 30 CNN debate Becerra attacked Hilton's tax plan as a 40% cut for millionaires. El País has him "criticizing the Republican candidate’s proposal for a 40% tax cut for millionaires"; The Center Square quotes him saying Hilton wants to “give the richest Californians, millionaires and billionaires, a 40% tax cut”.
- Different emphasisEl País frames the line inside Becerra's effort to tie Hilton to Trump (“proposing Trump tax policies, promising Trump tax cuts”) and adds his phrase “the largest in California history.” The Center Square pairs the line with Becerra's warning about schools, healthcare and housing, then gives Hilton's reply: “It’s very important we have this debate, and the simple point is that the quickest way to get more money in people’s pockets is for the government to take less out.”
- Material differencesNo material factual difference in the text we read. Neither article checks the 40% figure, and neither says the plan sets a 0% rate on the first $150,000 for everyone.
Shows its work
How this rating was reached
- Lie
- Doesn't hold up
- Misleading
- Mostly false
- Half true
- Mostly true
- True
- Unproven
This verdict aligns with the primary source, Steve Hilton for Governor: Sets 0% on the first $150,000 and a flat 8% above it; with FTB's 13.3% top rate, the richest filers' bills fall about 40%.
Why it holds up
Why mostly true
The core number holds: the richest Californians' state income tax bills would fall by close to 40% under Hilton's published plan. The caveat is that it's closer to 35% for people earning around $1 million. What happens to schools and health care is a prediction, so we don't rate that part.
01
The claim
At the Sept. 30 CNN debate, Becerra said: "He wants to give the richest Californians, millionaires and billionaires, a 40 percent tax cut, which means, of course, he will take it out of our schools, he will take it out of health care, he will take it out of housing, and make the conditions even worse."
02
What Hilton's plan says
Hilton's campaign page says: "Under Steve Hilton's plan, Californians will pay no state income tax on their first $150,000 of income." and "Income above $150,000 would be taxed at a simple 8% rate."
03
Today's rates
California's 2025 rate schedule tops out at 12.3% on taxable income above $742,953 for single filers. A separate 1% Behavioral Health Services Tax applies to taxable income above $1 million, so the top combined rate is 13.3%. Cutting 13.3% to 8% is a 39.8% cut in the top rate.
04
The math on actual bills
Using the 2025 single-filer schedule and the plan's 8% on income above $150,000: a filer with $10 million in taxable income owes about $1,300,837 today and $788,000 under the plan, a 39.4% cut. At $100 million it's 39.8%. At $1 million it's $103,837 today and $68,000 under the plan, a 34.5% cut. These are our own calculations from the published schedules.
05
The left-leaning framing
El País reported that Becerra was "criticizing the Republican candidate’s proposal for a 40% tax cut for millionaires". The Sacramento Bee, examining the line, reported: "Hilton’s tax plan calls for no state taxes on the first $150,000 in income. It also would cap remaining income taxes at 8%."
06
The right-leaning framing
The Center Square reported: "Becerra added that Hilton wants to “give the richest Californians, millionaires and billionaires, a 40% tax cut” at the expense of matters such as schools, healthcare and housing." Hilton's answer at the debate: "the quickest way to get more money in people's pockets is for the government to take less out."
07
The buried fact
The plan cuts state income tax for everyone, and the biggest percentage cut goes to people under $150,000, who would owe nothing. Hilton's page says "A family earning $150,000 would pay no California state income tax." Neither article says that. And the "40%" holds for the very top: for a filer near $1 million, the cut is closer to 35%.
- PrimarySteve Hilton for Governor: No State Income Tax on Your First $150,000
- PrimaryCalifornia Franchise Tax Board: 2025 California Tax Rate Schedules
- Secondary reportingEl País: Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton clash in CNN debate on economy, AI, and ICE raids in California governor’s race
- Secondary reportingThe Center Square: Becerra, Hilton pull no punches during gubernatorial debate
08
What each side gets right, and hides
Becerra is right about the size of the cut at the top. He doesn't say that the plan's largest percentage cut goes to people under $150,000. Hilton frames the plan as relief for working families, and his page highlights that a family earning $150,000 would pay nothing. It doesn't say that the richest filers' bills would fall by roughly 40%.
09
The question to ask
Hilton's own page puts the cost near $40 billion a year. Which spending would make up that money, and who would feel it?
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Top combined California income tax rate today (12.3% bracket plus 1% over $1 million) | 13.3% | California Franchise Tax Board |
| Rate on income above $150,000 under Hilton's plan | 8% | Steve Hilton for Governor |
| Cut in the tax bill at $10 million of taxable income, single filer (our calculation) | 39.4% | California Franchise Tax Board |
| Cut in the tax bill at $1 million of taxable income, single filer (our calculation) | 34.5% | California Franchise Tax Board |
| Revenue cost of the full plan, per the campaign's own page | About $40 billion a year | Steve Hilton for Governor |
Caveats and limits
Not verified
- No independent scoring of Hilton's plan was found. The roughly $40 billion figure is from the campaign's own page, which cites unnamed "independent estimates."
Caveats
- Our calculations assume the plan's 8% applies to taxable income above $150,000 and replaces every current rate, including the 1% surcharge on income over $1 million. The campaign page doesn't say how the surcharge or credits would be treated.
- This report rates the size of the tax cut. It doesn't rate Becerra's prediction about schools, health care and housing.
Sources
Primary · official record
CNN California Gubernatorial Debate, official transcript (Sept. 30, 2026)CNN · September 30, 2026
Primary · official record
No State Income Tax on Your First $150,000Steve Hilton for Governor · October 17, 2026
Primary · official record
2025 California Tax Rate SchedulesCalifornia Franchise Tax Board · December 1, 2025
Primary · official record
Secondary reporting
Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton clash in CNN debate on economy, AI, and ICE raids in California governor’s raceEl País · Isaías Alvarado · October 1, 2026
Secondary reporting
Becerra, Hilton pull no punches during gubernatorial debateThe Center Square · Chris Woodward · October 1, 2026
Secondary reporting
Would Republican Steve Hilton give California millionaires a tax cut?The Sacramento Bee · Ben Paviour · October 12, 2026
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