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Oh my god, you guys! Did you hear about that brat Katie Porter? Swear to God on a stack of holy Bibles, she is such a mean girl! She can never be governor of California! And she’s not gonna make fetch happen, either!
All right, can we please grow up for a minute here?
Like a lot of ambitious politicians, Katie Porter, the former Democratic congresswoman and UC Irvine law professor now running to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026, has a temper.
Porter, a protegé of Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the relentless consumer advocate, rose to fame during her three terms in Congress. She was dubbed the “whiteboard warrior” for using that common classroom tool to simplify complex financial issues during hearings. She took corporate titans like Jamie Dimon to task like a boss. Porter’s star was briefly dimmed by a loss to Adam Schiff in last year’s U.S. Senate race, but when she announced her run for governor, she instantly became the front-runner in a crowded Democratic field. .
Her ‘Devil Wears Prada’ act might not matter if she were some fringe candidate, but she’s currently the front-runner for next year’s California gubernatorial race.
Understandably, Porter’s rivals have been waiting for the chance to knock her down a peg. Recently, she delivered that opportunity to them. In a television interview with CBS News Sacramento correspondent Julia Watts, Porter got snippy. She decided, for whatever reason, that she did not want to keep answering questions about how she would appeal to the 40% of California voters who supported President Trump.
“How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” Porter asked.
“Unless you think you are going to get 60% of the vote,” Watts pressed, “everybody who did not vote for Trump will vote for you?”
“In a general election?” Porter asked. “Yes.”
“We’ve also asked the other candidates, do you think you need those 40% of California voters to win,” Watts said, “and you’re saying no you don’t.”
“I’m saying I’m gonna try to win every vote I can,” Porter replied. “And what I’m saying to you is …” At that point, she threw up her hands.
“I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m gonna call it, thank you,” said Porter, who removed her microphone, telling Watts she didn’t want to answer “seven follow-ups to every question you ask.”
Porter didn’t yell or throw a punch.
She just seemed fed up. Running for office can be a slog, and sometimes you just don’t feel like answering the same question over and over. Not that Watts was out of line. She absolutely wasn’t. However — and this is not a minor detail — despite what some outlets such as the Daily Beast reported, Porter did not “storm out” of the interview. Both CBS and her campaign said she spent another 20 minutes talking to Watts.
But the viral die was cast.
Shortly thereafter, Politico obtained a 2021 clip of Porter berating a staffer as she was being interviewed by then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over Zoom. The staffer interrupted to correct something Porter said about electric vehicles.
“Get out of my [effing] shot!” Porter demanded. Mean and cringey, for sure.
And lest the pile-on end there, we have also been reminded — by the New York Post — that years ago, Porter’s ex-husband accused her of verbal and physical abuse, alleging she dumped hot mashed potatoes on his head during a fight. This is ludicrous.
As Porter recounts in her 2023 memoir, “I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan,” in divorce documents and in a long 2018 interview with the Huffington Post at the dawn of her political career, Porter was abused by her ex-husband, who in turn accused her of abuse just before the hearing on her application for a restraining order.
As recounted in the HuffPo story, while she was flossing her teeth one evening, her husband barged into the bathroom, ripped away the floss, “then punched the wall so hard he shattered the face plate of the light switch and knocked the lights out. He would later tell a judge he was angry because his wife had been brushing her teeth too slowly.” There were calls to 911 and at one point, Porter took her three young kids into hiding.
She only went public with her humiliating divorce story because someone who was a supporter of one of her 2018 Democratic rivals called her “Katie ‘Restraining Order’ Porter” on Twitter. On the advice of her political consultant Ace Smith, she released her divorce files to quell any rumor mongering.
It’s fair to say Porter’s personal life has been messy. Last year, she sought and received a restraining order against a former boyfriend for sending her hundreds of “threatening and harassing” messages.
Still, her unfortunate outburst with the CBS reporter gave her competitors a long-sought opening.
“Katie Porter is a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California,” wrote former state Controller Betty Yee on X. “The stakes are simply too high for her to stay in this race.”
Pundits and talk show panelists held forth on how the kerfuffle would affect her campaign. Most seem to agree it was bad news for Porter, and also that it has cemented her reputation as a bad boss.
Porter has apologized, and has vowed to do better, though she has dodged questions about whether there will be more videos of her behaving badly.
Frankly, I’m not so sure this is a death blow for her campaign.
It’s true that female candidates are held to a higher standard of behavior than male candidates: Kamala Harris laughed too much! Hillary Clinton was too programmed! Elizabeth Warren was too shrill! Women are not allowed to be too emotional, or God forbid, angry.
But times have shown that voters can forgive a candidate’s bad behavior if they like what she stands for, and if they believe she has their best interests at heart.
Especially now, Democrats want fighters like Newsom and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who have become national stars for leading the resistance against Trump and his autocratic overreaches.
It’s also fair to say that in a thus-far-sleepy governor’s race, California voters have suddenly perked up.
If they didn’t know Katie Porter’s name before, they sure do now.
Bluesky: @rabcarian
Threads: @rabcarian
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Ideas expressed in the piece
The controversies surrounding Porter are overblown reactions to behavior that should not disqualify her from running for governor, with critics engaging in sexist double standards by holding female candidates to higher behavioral expectations than male candidates. Porter’s snippy interview with CBS was not as dramatic as portrayed, as she did not actually “storm out” but continued talking with the reporter for another 20 minutes after removing her microphone. The resurfacing of Porter’s ex-husband’s abuse allegations is “ludicrous” given extensive documentation showing Porter was the victim of domestic abuse, not the perpetrator, including incidents where her husband physically intimidated her and punched walls during arguments.
Despite the negative press, these incidents may not constitute a “death blow” to Porter’s campaign, particularly if voters believe in her policy positions and view her as fighting for their interests. California Democrats are seeking “fighters” like Governor Newsom who can resist Trump’s overreaches, and Porter’s combative style may actually appeal to voters looking for such leadership. The controversy has succeeded in raising Porter’s profile among California voters who may not have known her name before, potentially benefiting her campaign by increasing name recognition in what had been a “sleepy” race.
Different views on the topic
The viral videos reveal fundamental character flaws that make Porter unfit for California’s governorship, with former Senator Barbara Boxer stating the staffer video “tells us everything we need to know” and shows Porter lacks basic respect for those working under her[2]. Porter’s behavior demonstrates a troubling double standard where she champions aggressive interrogation of corporate executives in Congress but becomes defensive and irritated when facing routine questioning herself, raising concerns about her ability to handle the scrutiny that comes with being governor[2].
The incidents have reinforced perceptions that Porter is “thin-skinned and a short-tempered boss,” feeding into concerns about her temperament that existed before the videos emerged[2]. Several Democratic competitors, including former state Controller Betty Yee, have called for Porter to drop out of the race entirely, arguing “the stakes are simply too high for her to stay in this race”[2]. Political strategists suggest Porter’s response in coming days will determine her viability in the race, with the videos having “cast a cloud over her gubernatorial prospects” that she must address effectively[2]. The controversies have opened opportunities for other Democratic candidates, with political observers noting Porter’s “standing in the race is shakier than it was” and that she is still in the “get-to-know-you phase” with voters who are discovering unflattering aspects of her personality[1].
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