Debate Claim Sparks Immediate Rebuttal
Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego called Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra a "bald-face liar" on Thursday following comments made during a CNN-hosted gubernatorial debate on Wednesday.
The dispute centers on Proposition 39, a ballot measure that would require in-person voters to present government-issued identification and mail-in voters to include the last four digits of their ID number. The initiative also mandates that officials verify U.S. citizenship using government data.
During the debate against Republican Steve Hilton, Becerra stated that President Trump was instrumental in Proposition 39 qualifying for California’s November ballot. Becerra argued that Trump pushed for voter identification requirements in California because he was unable to pass his SAVE America Act through Congress.
Jonathan Underland, spokesperson for Becerra’s campaign, defended the candidate's remarks by citing a March 11, 2025 news release from Reform California. The release acknowledged Trump’s support for voter ID measures prior to Prop 39 qualifying for the ballot.
Committee Clarifies Lack of Endorsement
Supporters of Proposition 39 have moved to distance the measure from direct presidential endorsement. Meredith Shields, press secretary for the Yes on Prop. 39 committee, stated that Trump has not taken a position on the specific initiative.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Trump’s position on Proposition 39.
Clarification was also added to the Reform California website. An editor’s note was included to clarify that Proposition 39 has not been endorsed by Trump, correcting earlier implications of direct support.
Funding and Legislative Background
Proposition 39 is authored by DeMaio and backed by donors including Julie Luckey, the mother of a major Trump fundraiser, and Richard Uihlein, who has contributed $17 million to the campaign.
DeMaio asserted that the measure qualified for the ballot through the collection of over 1 million petition signatures from California voters. This total surpassed the required threshold of 874,641 signatures, according to DeMaio, who denied any role by Trump in placing the measure on the ballot.
Backers of the measure contend that voter fraud is widespread in California, though they have provided no evidence to support this claim.