{"slug": "steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-and-the-machine-in-new-ai-driven", "title": "Steve Hilton battles Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and the ‘Machine’ in new AI-driven campaign ad", "summary": "Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton released a campaign ad Thursday that uses AI-generated animation to depict Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and the state's Democratic establishment as operating a political 'machine' that selects Xavier Becerra as the next governor. The roughly two-minute spot, produced by Charles Curran, blends AI animation with live footage to contrast the 'corrupt machine in Sacramento' with struggling Californians, and marks Hilton's embrace of viral AI-generated political videos in the race.", "body_md": "# Steve Hilton battles Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and the ‘Machine’ in new AI-driven campaign ad\n\nSee more of our coverage in your search results.\n\n[Add The California Post on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nypost.com)\n\nRepublican Steve Hilton is bringing AI warfare to [California’s governor’s race](https://nypost.com/2026/06/09/us-news/republican-steven-hilton-advances-to-general-election-for-california-governor/), releasing a cinematic campaign ad Thursday that portrays Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and the state’s Democratic establishment as operating a giant political “machine” that spits out Xavier Becerra as the state’s next governor.\n\nThe spot was produced by Charles Curran — the brainchild behind [a viral “Pratt-Man” video](https://nypost.com/2026/05/06/us-news/spencer-pratt-transforms-into-batman-in-amazing-new-video/) featuring reality television personality Spencer Pratt during his unsuccessful campaign for Los Angeles mayor.\n\nThe roughly two-minute Hilton spot — titled “Machine” — blends artificial intelligence-generated animation with live campaign footage to depict California’s Democratic leadership manufacturing Becerra as Newsom’s successor while ordinary Californians struggle with soaring taxes, high gas prices and homelessness.\n\n“This ad is showing what this is all about — the people against the corrupt machine in Sacramento,” Hilton told The Post.\n\nIt comes just a day after [his call for support from anti-Trump voters](https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/us-news/steve-hilton-courts-anti-trump-voters-with-new-political-ads/).\n\n“Our government has been hijacked by a group of special interests and regular Californians have been losing out.”\n\nThe ad opens with a narrator declaring, “As long as the machine leaves California, nothing will ever change,” before cutting to a woman cradling a baby who says, “I don’t know if we can continue living here.”\n\nIt then shifts to an AI-generated boardroom where animated versions of Newsom, Harris and political fat cats gather around a table. Figures representing “nonprofits,” “Chamber of Commerce” and “government unions” sit nearby as Newsom tells the group, “Okay, we got to figure out this governor’s thing. I’d do it forever, but it’s my turn to be president.”\n\n“Bring in the machine,” Newsom says. The machine flashes the name Becerra.\n\n“The Biden guy who lost all those kids,” Newsom says.\n\n“That can’t be right. Run it again,” Harris replies.\n\nNewsom then describes it as “the thing we created to make sure nothing ever changes.” he adds, “As long as you submit to the machine, you don’t have to do anything.”\n\nBecerra, realizing the task at hand, smiles and says: “Nothing. I can do that.”\n\nThe ad later depicts Becerra being shouted down by an angry crowd before being pelted with an object, then pivoting to Hilton speaking before cheering supporters.\n\n“Who else is tired of the highest taxes in the country, the highest gas prices in the country, the worst homelessness in the country?” Hilton asks. “This is our state, not the machines. That’s what we’re fighting for!”\n\nIn the closing sequence, protesters storm what appears to be the Capitol rotunda, taking on robots in suits, before a firefighter tosses Hilton a California flag, which he plants into the front of the giant machine.\n\n“Time to take California back!” Hilton shouts.\n\nThe ad ends back inside the fictional boardroom, where Harris turns to Newsom and asks, “Can we get Swalwell back?”\n\nHilton said early reaction to the video has been overwhelmingly positive.\n\n“I’m getting texts from people who say they love it,” he said. “It’s the kind of energy we need.”\n\nThe commercial also marks Hilton’s embrace of the viral [AI-generated political videos](https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/us-news/the-view-clash-over-spencer-pratt-los-angeles-mayor-campaign-amid-ai-video-controversy/) that have become an increasingly visible feature of California campaigns.\n\n“Of course Steve is playing to his Trump-loving MAGA base — the only folks who can stand to watch an ad with him in it,” said Jonathan Underland, Becerra’s spokesperson.\n\n“Force-feeding voters AI slop didn’t play out well for Spencer, and it won’t work for Steve,“ he added.\n\nUnlike those videos, Hilton said, the new ad was produced directly for his campaign.\n\nWith Newsom barred by term limits from seeking another term, the race will determine who leads California beginning next year.\n\nHilton said voters should expect more unconventional AI-enhanced campaign ads.\n\n“This is just the first,” he said. “A lot more to come.”", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-and-the-machine-in-new-ai-driven", "canonical_source": "https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-in-ai-ad/", "published_at": "2026-07-23 18:54:29+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-23 18:59:05.059160+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-policy", "generative-ai"], "entities": ["Steve Hilton", "Gavin Newsom", "Kamala Harris", "Xavier Becerra", "Charles Curran", "The California Post", "The New York Post"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-and-the-machine-in-new-ai-driven", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-and-the-machine-in-new-ai-driven.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-and-the-machine-in-new-ai-driven.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/steve-hilton-battles-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-and-the-machine-in-new-ai-driven.jsonld"}}