Overview
- Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, which took the stage Tuesday on CNN, said he was “very proud” of past ties to the Oath Keepers and then told moderator Kaitlan Collins he does not consider himself a current member.
- Democrats Antonio Villaraigosa and Xavier Becerra condemned the stance during the broadcast, with Villaraigosa saying an Oath Keeper is not qualified to be governor and Becerra calling the answer chilling.
- Bianco framed his comments as pride in swearing an oath to the Constitution and, in a tense moment, used a child molestation hypothetical to argue against linking him to the group’s crimes.
- The Oath Keepers are widely described as a far-right militia whose members took part in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and coverage cited founder Stewart Rhodes’ seditious-conspiracy conviction, with some outlets saying his sentence was later commuted.
- The exchange gives voters a sharper look at Bianco’s record and could shape primary dynamics in a state where broad support often hinges on rejecting ties to groups linked to political violence.