Katie Porter criticized after abruptly ending CBS interview
California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter faced conservative backlash after cutting short a CBS interview when pressed on appealing to Trump voters. The viral clip, posted on Tuesday night, showed Porter calling the questioning argumentative. Social media users and political opponents quickly condemned her response.
On Tuesday night, a clip from a CBS interview featuring California Rep. Katie Porter, a Democratic frontrunner in the state's gubernatorial race, went viral after she abruptly ended the exchange. CBS investigative journalist Julie Watts pressed Porter on whether she could and needed to appeal to the millions of Trump voters in California to win the governorship. Porter, 51, responded by saying, "I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative," and added, "I don't want to keep doing this, I'm going to call it."
The moment drew sharp criticism from conservatives on social media. Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X, "This Katie Porter crashout is INCREDIBLE." Political consultant Liz Mair wrote, "California Democratic consultants have been telling me for years that Katie Porter is the most unpleasant and unprofessional candidate they’ve ever encountered." GOP Congressman Ken Calvert stated, "Katie Porter just had a meltdown when asked what she’d say to GOP voters," adding that it revealed the mentality of radical California Democrats. Other commentators, including Riley Gaines, Torunn Sinclair, Alec Sears, Michelle Tafoya, and Democratic consultant Lis Smith, echoed the sentiment, with Sears calling Porter "the epitome of a Karen" and Tafoya noting, "Follow-up questions are a fact of life."
Porter, who served three terms in Congress after upsetting GOP Rep. Mimi Walters in 2018, ran unsuccessfully for Senate against Adam Schiff. Her Orange County district is now held by Democrat Dave Min. Described by the Los Angeles Times as a prolific fundraiser, Porter entered the race referencing Donald Trump and his potential self-enrichment in the White House.
In California's jungle primary system, the two top vote-getters regardless of party advance to the general election. Several opponents reacted: Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa posted, "We need a leader who will solve hard problems and answer simple questions." Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said, "I’m not interested in excluding any vote." Republican Steve Hilton called for change after 15 years of one-party rule, while Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco labeled it a "tantrum," saying Porter would continue Gavin Newsom’s destruction of the state.