Well, folks, if you thought California politics couldn’t get any spicier, think again—gubernatorial hopeful Katie Porter just tried to storm out of a CBS interview when pressed on courting Trump voters, the New York Post reported.
During a sit-down recorded last month and aired on Monday, Porter, a Democratic contender for California’s top job, found herself in hot water over a simple question about winning over the 40% of state voters who backed President Trump, leading to a viral meltdown that’s got everyone talking.
Porter, who launched her campaign for governor in March, has been a familiar face in Democratic circles, serving in the House of Representatives from 2019 until earlier this year.
Before this latest dust-up, she was leading the gubernatorial race by a comfortable 7 points, according to RealClearPolitics polling averages.
But her past isn’t all smooth sailing—Porter faced a tough loss in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate last year to Sen. Adam Schiff, after which she controversially claimed the process was “rigged” due to heavy opponent spending, though she later walked back the rhetoric.
Add to that prior accusations of staff bullying and troubling allegations from her ex-husband, Matthew Hoffman, during their divorce—claims of verbal abuse and even an incident involving hot mashed potatoes—and you’ve got a candidate with some serious baggage.
Now, let’s get to the meat of this CBS interview, where reporter Julie Watts asked a straightforward question about how Porter planned to appeal to Trump-supporting Californians.
Porter initially responded by saying she’d seek every vote possible and build broad support, but when Watts pressed further, the conversation took a sharp turn south.
Visibly frustrated, Porter called the exchange “unnecessarily argumentative,” attempted to remove her microphone, and insisted she didn’t want the whole fiasco on camera, even stating, “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m going to call it,” as captured in the aired footage (CBS).
Porter’s campaign later claimed the interview continued for another 20 minutes after the tense moment, but the damage was done as the clip spread like wildfire across social media.
Critics were quick to pounce, pointing out the irony of a former congresswoman known for her own tough, viral questioning in hearings now dodging a basic inquiry about voter outreach.
State superintendent Tony Thurmond didn’t hold back, saying, “If she can’t answer basic questions from a reporter, how can Californians expect her to stand up to President Trump?”—a jab that cuts deep for a candidate banking on grit (CBS).
Porter’s Democratic primary opponents piled on, with former state Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa questioning her leadership chops and ability to tackle hard issues with simple transparency.
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra took a broader swipe, emphasizing the need to include all voters in the race for governor, a not-so-subtle reminder that alienating any group—Trump supporters or otherwise—won’t win California’s diverse electorate.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited and former Vice President Kamala Harris sitting this race out, the field is wide open, but Porter’s latest stumble might just give her rivals the ammunition they need to close the gap.
