The two Republican candidates running for California governor had an awkward moment during the California gubernatorial primary debate after moderator Kaitlan Collins posed a question about one calling the other a “swindler.”

“I saw the two of you chatting earlier,” Collins said, referring to Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, asking the former about “some harsh words” he had said about the latter.

“You’ve called him ‘unethical and dishonest’ and said that he is trying to ‘manipulate’ Californians and ‘swindled his way into the Republican side,’” Collins said, asking Bianco if he was telling Republican voters not to trust Hilton.

The 59-year-old sheriff froze before falling short of completely denying or even acknowledging the comments he made.

“I don’t know where that came from,” he said during the debate. “I don’t think I’ve used the word ‘swindle,’ so I don’t know if you were quoting something or if you were saying that.”

Collins turned up the pressure by reading the full quote from an article earlier in April that appeared in The Atlantic, which was based on an interview with KBAK-KBFX Eyewitness News, a Bakersfield station.

“I’ve never used the word ‘swindle,’” Bianco insisted.

A recent survey conducted by EVITARUS showed Hilton tied with a Democrat for first place at 18%. Bianco followed in second with 14%.

The two candidates have split the Republican voter base, dividing support within the party. About 25% of the state’s registered voters are Republican, meaning roughly one in four Californians could potentially vote for either Bianco or Hilton.

Bianco attempted to change the topic by talking about disagreements with Hilton.

“Have Steve and I disagreed? Absolutely. We’ve had quite big disagreements and battles in this election, because he’s running his campaign, I’m running mine,” he said.

But Collins did not let up, asking the gubernatorial candidate point-blank if he was denying saying those quotes.

“No, I’m saying that I don’t know where that came from,” he said. “I would never use the word ‘swindled.’ But the context — yes, I have said that. It’s unethical.

“Right now, lying can get me removed from my job,” he added.

Immediately after the word-salad moment, Collins pressed him further and asked for clarification on what that meant.

She then cited the full quote from his interview with the local California news network on March 6, 2026. In conversation with the host, Bianco responded with words about Hilton, which Collins read aloud:

“You said he’s trying to figure out how he can ‘manipulate Californians to put him in this position at a time when we know that California Democrats have failed and we are going to vote for a Republican governor, and he has swindled his way into the Republican side, even though he’s not,’” Collins read to Bianco.

“I probably did say that. I didn’t use the word ‘swindled,’ whatever it was. But that context, I will agree with that 100%,” Bianco conceded, but maintained the word “swindled” was not used by him.

For context, “swindles” means to cheat, defraud, or trick someone out of money or property through dishonest means.

Collins then went to Hilton for a response, who kept it measured and instead took aim at Democrats rather than his Republican counterpart, who had just been fact-checked.

“This is a very serious moment for California. The ballots are out. They’re in your hands. And we have a really big choice to make, which is: Do we go for another four years of one-party rule that’s given us the highest taxes for the worst results — the highest poverty rate, highest unemployment rate, highest cost of living, serious policy failures, and homelessness,” he said.

The entire exchange lasted nearly three minutes during the debate hosted by CNN on Tuesday.

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