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Steve Hilton

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Not to be confused withSteven M. Hilton.

Steve Hilton
Hilton in 2015
Born
Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton

(1969-08-25)25 August 1969(age 54)
Barnet,London,England
Citizenship
  • British
  • American
Alma materNew College, Oxford
OccupationPolitical commentator
Political partyConservative
Spouse
​
(m.2008)​
Children2
Parent

Stephen Glenn Charles Hilton(born 25 August 1969)[1][2]is a British and American political commentator, former political adviser, and contributor forFox News Channel.[3]He served as director of strategy for the British Prime MinisterDavid Cameronfrom 2010 to 2012.[4]Hilton hostedThe Next Revolution,a weekly current affairs show forFox Newsfrom 2017 to 2023.[5]He is a proponent of what he calls "positivepopulism"and a vocal supporter of former U.S. PresidentDonald Trump.[6]He was a co-founder ofCrowdpac,[7]but stepped down as CEO in 2018 due to conflicting values with the company.[8]

Early life[edit]

Hilton's parents, whose original surname was Hircsák[9](which some sources spell "Hircksac" ),[10]emigrated from Hungary during theHungarian Revolution of 1956.They came to Britain, initially claimingasylum,and anglicised their name to Hilton. Hilton's father,István,had beengoaltenderfor theHungarian national ice hockey teamand was considered one of the top ice hockey players in Europe in the 1930s.[11][9][12]After arriving in Britain, his parents initially worked in catering atHeathrow Airport.They divorced when Steve was five years old[9]leading to what he has described as a struggle and great financial hardship; his mother worked in a shoe store but was primarily dependent onstate benefits,and the two lived in a cold, damp basement apartment.[13]

He was given abursarytoChrist's Hospital SchoolinHorshamin Sussex, before studyingPhilosophy, Politics, and EconomicsatNew CollegeatOxford University.

Career[edit]

After graduating, Hilton worked atConservative Central Office,where he came to know David Cameron andRachel Whetstone,who became his wife and, later, Senior Vice-President of Policy and Communications forUber.[14]He liaised with the party's advertising firm,Saatchi and Saatchi,and was praised byMaurice Saatchi,who remarked, "No one reminds me as much of me when young as Steve."[10]During this time Hilton bought the "New Labour, New Danger"demon eyes poster campaign[15]for the Conservatives' pre-general election campaign in 1996, which won an award from the advertising industry'sCampaignmagazine at the beginning of 1997.[16]The Conservatives went on to experience their worst election defeat for more than half a century, with some journalists speculating that the poster contrasted unfavourably with Labour's more positive campaign.[17]In 2005, Hilton lost out to futureSecretary of State for EducationMichael Govein the selection process for theSurrey Heath constituency.[18]

Hilton talked of the need to "replace" the traditionally minded grassroots membership of the Conservative Party, which he saw as preventing the party from embracing a more metropolitan attitude on social issues.[19]

It is alleged that Hilton said "I voted Green" after theLabour landslide of 2001,[10]but then worked with Cameron to re-brand the Conservative Party asgreenandprogressive.According toThe EconomistHilton "remains appallingly understood".[20]There were reports that Hilton's 'blue sky thinking' caused conflict in Whitehall and, according to Nicholas Watt ofThe Guardian,Liberal Democrats around deputy prime ministerNick Cleggconsidered him to be a "refreshing but wacky thinker".[21]

Hilton was satirised in the BBC comedyThe Thick of Itas the herbal-tea drinking spin doctor Stewart Pearson.[22][23]

Hilton was director of strategy for the UK prime minister David Cameron from 2010 to 2012.[24][4]His last memo concerned the advocacy of severe cuts in the number of civil servants in the United Kingdom[25]and further welfare cuts.[26]

Hilton is a co-founder and former CEO of Crowdpac.com, a Silicon Valley technology start-up.[27]In April 2016, Crowdpac launched a beta service in the UK.[28]Hilton resigned fromCrowdpacin May 2018.[29]Crowdpac also suspended fundraising for Republican candidates on its platform.

In May 2015, Hilton joined the UK think tankPolicy Exchangeas a visiting scholar.[30]

He is the author of theSunday TimesbestsellerMore Human: Designing a World Where People Come First,published in May 2015.[31][32]It advocates smaller, human-scale organisations and is critical of large governmental and business, includingfactory farmsand banks.[33]With co-author Giles Gibbons, he wroteGood Business: Your World Needs You,published in 2002.[34]

He spent a year as a visiting fellow atStanford University'sHoover Institution,has been a scholar at Stanford’sFreeman Spogli Institute for International Studies,and has taught at Stanford’sHasso Plattner Institute of Design.[35][36][37]

In 2023, Hilton founded Golden Together, a bipartisan think tank, withLanhee ChenandGloria Romero.[38][39]The same year, he proposed aballot initiativedesigned to reduce thehousing shortage in California.[40]The measure would prohibit private lawsuits related to theCalifornia Environmental Quality Actand capimpact feespaid by homebuilders and developers.[41]TheSan Francisco Chronicle's Joe Garofoli called the ballot initiative a "developer giveaway", noting that it would give developers two of their major desires, but also that it may help stabilize construction workforces and draw more attention to housing issues in California.[40]

Fox News[edit]

In November 2016, writing forFox News,he announced his support forDonald TrumpoverHillary Clintonin thepresidential election.[42]Starting in 2017, Hilton presented the weekly showThe Next RevolutiononFox News Channel.[43]

He was criticised for not rebutting his guestAnn Coulterwhen she falsely asserted that arecordingofmigrant children who were separated from their parentsby the Trump administration crying were actors.[44]

In March 2019, Hilton claimed thatCNN,MSNBC,formerCIA DirectorJohn Brennan,and formerDirectorofNational IntelligenceJames Clapperas well as Democratic congress membersAdam SchiffandEric Swalwellwere the "real agents ofPutin"for playing a role in" dividing "the United States over the myriadlinks between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies.[45]

On June 1, 2023, Fox News announced thatThe Next Revolutionwould be ending its run as Hilton began “to focus on his new California non-partisan policy organization….” Hilton remains with the network as a contributor.[46]

COVID-19 pandemic[edit]

In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Statesand shortly aftersocial distancingmeasures andlockdownswere implemented, Hilton called onPresidentDonald Trumpto end the measures. Hilton criticised "our ruling class and their TV mouthpieces [for] whipping up fear over this virus". Hilton suggested that "the cure could be worse than the disease"; or more specifically that the long-term public health consequences resulting from the economic damage of a lockdown would be worse than the short-term public health consequences of the virus itself. Trump later appeared to mimic what Hilton said in one of his tweets.[47][48][49]

In January 2021, Hilton asserted that theWuhan Institute of Virologywas the most likely source of the COVID-19 virusand falsely claimed thatDr. Anthony Fauci,director of theNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasesand chief medical advisor to the president, commissioned the work which led to virus's development.PolitiFactdescribed Hilton's claims as "rely[ing] on a series of unsubstantiated allegations to spin a conspiracy theory about the virus being a lab creation.".[50][51]

False 2020 election fraud claims[edit]

After Trump was defeated byJoe Bidenin the2020 presidential election,Hilton demanded an investigation into false claims of election fraud on his Fox News broadcast, clips of which were tweeted by Trump.[11][52]

Personal life[edit]

Hilton is married toRachel Whetstone,a former aide (political secretary) toMichael Howard,former head of communications atGoogle,former senior vice-president of policy and communications ofUber,and current chief communications officer ofNetflix.[14][53]The couple weregodparentsto David Cameron's son, Ivan, who died at the age of six.[54]He became a U.S. citizen in May 2021.[55]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Index entry".FreeBMD.ONS.Retrieved10 November2021.
  2. ^"Steve Hilton: The unseen author of David Cameron's bid for No 10".The Telegraph.London. 2 October 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2008.Retrieved7 January2010.
  3. ^"Steve Hilton: Why a second Trump term is so important".www.youtube.com.Archivedfrom the original on 19 December 2021.
  4. ^ab"David Cameron's chief adviser just said austerity cost 130,000 avoidable deaths".New Statesman.23 March 2020.Retrieved7 December2020.
  5. ^Weprin, Alex (1 June 2023)."Fox News Shakes Up Weekend Lineup, Steve Hilton's 'The Next Revolution' Ending Run".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved1 June2023.
  6. ^Katz, A.J. (3 June 2017)."Fox News's Steve Hilton is a Strong Believer in 'Positive Populism'".www.adweek.com.Adweek, LLC.Retrieved11 December2017.
  7. ^"Policy Exchange Home".Policy Exchange.
  8. ^Crowdpac (10 August 2018)."A stand against Trumpism, a stand for democracy".Medium.Retrieved19 April2021.
  9. ^abc"Steve Hilton: londoni szürke eminenciás".Budapest: HVG. 15 December 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 28 December 2010.Retrieved16 December2010.
  10. ^abcWintour, Patrick (2 December 2006)."'David's brain' transforms Tory brand ".The Guardian.London.Retrieved7 January2010.
  11. ^ab"How Steve Hilton became one of the most influential voices on Fox News".The Independent.3 February 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 25 May 2022.Retrieved10 February2021.
  12. ^Dubner, Stephen J.(7 June 2017)."He's One of the Most Famous Political Operatives in America. America Just Doesn't Know It Yet".Freakonomics Radio.Retrieved14 January2018.
  13. ^Golomb, Robert (1 November 2018)."Steve Hilton: England's Horatio Alger Comes To America".NewsLI.com.New York.Retrieved4 November2018.
  14. ^ab"Rachel Whetstone leaves Google communication role to join Uber".The Guardian.14 May 2015.Retrieved24 May2015.
  15. ^"Politics Election 2001: 'New Labour, New Danger'",The Guardian,reproduction of poster
  16. ^Andrew Culf"Demon eyes ad wins top award",The Guardian,10 January 1997
  17. ^"Obama and Romney second debate: Are slogans and soundbites helpful?".metro.co.uk.15 October 2012.Retrieved24 January2019.
  18. ^"No 10s new-age rottweiler fights urge to slip the leash".The Times.Retrieved6 April2015.
  19. ^"Tory MP threatens Cameron with water clock torture – Gary Gibbon on Politics".Channel 4. 21 May 2013.Retrieved6 April2015.
  20. ^"The government has lost its ultimate radical".The Economist.2 March 2012.
  21. ^Nicholas Watt"Steve Hilton policy leaks show Downing Street divide over David Cameron aide",The Guardian,28 July 2011
  22. ^Addley, Esther (19 May 2015)."Ex-No 10 guru Steve Hilton provides David Cameron with food for thought".The Guardian.Retrieved22 May2015.
  23. ^Owen, Paul (14 November 2009)."The Thick of It: series three, episode four".The Guardian.Retrieved22 May2015.
  24. ^Jackson, Jasper (19 December 2016)."Former David Cameron strategy chief Steve Hilton signs Fox deal".The Guardian.Retrieved7 December2020.
  25. ^Iain Watson"Steve Hilton's civil service attack uncovers coalition tensions",BBC News, 18 May 2012
  26. ^Patrick Wintour"Steve Hilton's parting shots: £25bn in cuts and a broadside at the civil service",The Guardian,16 May 2012
  27. ^"Institute of Politics Winter 2014 Fellow Steve Hilton: Reforming the Conservative Party in the U.K."Eventbrite.
  28. ^"Crowdpac | Giving politics back to people".www.crowdpac.co.uk.Retrieved26 May2016.
  29. ^Weigel, David(19 May 2018)."Fox News host Steve Hilton wanted to disrupt the party system. This week, he left his PAC".The Washington Post.Retrieved15 June2020.
  30. ^Matt Smith."Steve Hilton discusses his new book More Human in conversation with Charles Moore".Policy Exchange.
  31. ^"Steve Hilton - About the author".penguinrandomhouse.com.Penguin Random House.Retrieved1 November2023.
  32. ^Hilton, Steve (21 May 2015).More Human.WH Allen.ISBN978-0-7535-5678-8.
  33. ^Mcrae, Hamish (21 May 2015)."More Human by Steve Hilton, book review: Watch out for a Tory revolution, Russell Brand".The Independent.Retrieved22 May2015.
  34. ^Steve Hilton; Giles Gibbons (2002).Good Business: Your World Needs You.New York: Texere.ISBN1587991187.
  35. ^"FSI | CDDRL - Top British advisor joins Stanford as visiting scholar".cddrl.fsi.stanford.edu.2 March 2012.
  36. ^"David Cameron's strategy chief takes one-year sabbatical".The Metro. 2 March 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved16 April2012.
  37. ^"Design the Way Up: Disruptive Solutions for Poverty in America".dschool.stanford.edu.Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.Retrieved1 November2023.
  38. ^Smith, Ben (8 June 2023)."Former Cameron aide, Fox Host launches California group".Semafor.Retrieved6 November2023.
  39. ^White, Jeremy B.; Korte, Lara (8 June 2023)."Newsom's constitutional crusade against guns".Politico.Retrieved6 November2023.
  40. ^abGarofoli, Joe (6 September 2023)."Former Fox News host launches a proposed 2024 ballot measure to fix California's housing crisis".San Francisco Chronicle.Retrieved2 November2023.
  41. ^Korte, Lara; Gardiner, Dustin (7 September 2023)."The culture war goes to court".Politico.Retrieved2 November2023.
  42. ^Hilton, Steve (1 November 2016),Elites can afford a Clinton presidency, working people cannot,Fox News,retrieved28 January2018
  43. ^"The Next Revolution | Steve Hilton | Fox News Channel".Fox News.Retrieved20 June2018.
  44. ^Cohen, Nick (23 June 2018)."Steve Hilton's silence speaks volumes about the hollow men of the right".The Guardian.Retrieved24 June2018.
  45. ^Baragona, Justin (25 March 2019)."Fox News Host: 'Real Agents of Putin' Are CNN and MSNBC".Retrieved9 October2019.
  46. ^"Fox News Shakes Up Weekend Lineup, Steve Hilton's 'The Next Revolution' Ending Run".Yahoo! News.1 June 2023.Retrieved1 June2023.
  47. ^Relman, Eliza."Trump's favorite Fox News hosts are pushing him to prioritize the economy over social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic".Business Insider.Retrieved6 April2020.
  48. ^Balluck, Kyle (23 March 2020)."Fox's Hilton: 'TV mouthpieces whipping up fear' over coronavirus".The Hill.Retrieved6 April2020.
  49. ^Mazza, Ed (23 March 2020)."Trump Repeats Latest Bonkers Fox News Coronavirus Claims In Midnight Rant".HuffPost.Retrieved6 April2020.
  50. ^"PolitiFact - No, Dr. Anthony Fauci did not fund research tied to COVID-19 'creation'".PolitiFact.2021.Retrieved10 February2021.
  51. ^Gerstein, Julie."Fox News pundit Steve Hilton pushed a ridiculous conspiracy theory that Dr. Fauci is behind the coronavirus".www.businessinsider.com.
  52. ^"Trump tweets bizarre string of Steve Hilton clips without comment as he rages at election defeat".The Independent.9 November 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 25 May 2022.Retrieved9 November2020.
  53. ^Grimes, Christopher; Nicolaou, Anna (21 October 2021)."How Netflix became 'Hateflix' in the eyes of trans activists".Financial Times.
  54. ^Odone, Cristina (6 September 2011)."Why every baby needs a power godparent"– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  55. ^Miles, Frank (7 July 2019)."Steve Hilton announces he's applying to become US citizen".Fox News.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steve_Hilton&oldid=1232178311"