“I'm a proud American. I became a citizen in 2021. I feel at home here both in America and actually, in a way I actually have never felt before. I feel like this is where I'm meant to be, and I couldn't be more honoured that people now are putting their faith in me to turn the state around.”

Nick Robinson speaks to Steve Hilton, the British-born Republican candidate for governor of California in November’s US midterm elections.

Once a senior adviser to former UK prime minister David Cameron, Hilton left British politics to build a new life in America.

Now endorsed by President Donald Trump, he explains why he believes the Republican Party best represents what he calls “positive populism”.

Hilton reflects on his upbringing as the son of Hungarian refugees, the opportunities he says transformed his life, and why he feels a stronger sense of belonging in America than he ever did in Britain.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with former US Secretary of State John Kerry and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.

You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Nick Robinson

(Image: Steve Hilton. Credit: Reuters)