The claim
“Donald Trump claimed that his phone call to federal prosecutors in California influenced the state's primary election results, resulting in Steve Hilton advancing to the runoff.”
a rally in Pennsylvania
Our verdict
True
Multiple sources confirm that Donald Trump publicly stated his phone call to federal prosecutors in California resulted in Steve Hilton advancing to the runoff.
What we found
The claim accurately reflects Trump's statement as reported by reputable outlets.
The evidence
2 sources, all background: none settles the claim either way.
- Background
ElectionLawBlog reports Trump said his intervention resulted in Hilton advancing to the runoff in the gubernatorial race.
electionlawblog.org· Trump's statement reported - Background
In California's top-two primary, the two highest vote‑getters advance to the general election; advancing to the runoff means securing a general‑election slot.
electionresults.sos.ca.gov· California top-two primary
How we checked
We reviewed 2 relevant sources.
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