In a real jaw-dropper of an interview disaster, former Democratic Party member of Congress and current California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter melted down so badly that she tried storming off of the interview set. The incident came when she tried answering a question about Trump voters in California.
For reference, the disaster of a gubernatorial candidate’s interview came when she spoke to investigative journalist and California Capitol Accountability Correspondent Julie Watts of CBS News Sacramento about the state of things politically in California, Gavin Newsom’s attempt at redistricting, and winning over Republicans.
Kicking off the inane but eventually very entertaining conversation, Watts asked, “What do you say to the 40% of California voters, who you’ll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?” Porter, dumbstruck at the question, asked, “How would I need them in order to win, Ma’am?”
Watts, responding in non-sensical fashion, said, “Well, unless you think you’re gonna get 60% of the vote. Everybody who did not vote for Trump will vote for you? That’s what you’re saying?” Porter said, “In a general election, yes. If it’s me versus a Republican, I think that I will win the people who did not vote for Trump.”
The conversation only got dumber from there. Watts then asked, finally explaining her point and noting that the electoral fight could be between multiple Democrats, making Republican votes more meaningful, “What if it’s you versus another Democrat?” Porter, responding dumbly, said, without providing any details, “I don’t intend that to be the case.” Watts then asked, “So, how do you not intend that to be the case? Are you gonna ask them not to run?”
Porter, annoyed, said, “No, no. I’m saying I’m gonna build the support. I have the support already in terms of name recognition, and so I am gonna do the very best I can to make sure that we get through this primary in a really strong position. But let me be clear with you. I represented Orange County. I represented a purple area. I have stood on my own two feet and won Republican votes before, and that’s not something every candidate in this race can say…”
Watts, noting that Porter’s answers were muddled, “But you just said you don’t need those Trump voters…?” Porter, getting angry, snapped, “You asked me if I needed them to win. I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative. What is your question?” As Porter snapped her terse reply, she raised her hands to the interviewer’s face.
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Watts then told her that the question was one that the other candidates hadn’t struggled with, saying, “Every other candidate has answered this question. This is not argumentative.” Porter then got annoyed and tried ripping off her microphone, saying, “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m gonna call it. Thank you.”
Confused at the idea that the candidate would just walk away from an interview, Watts asked, “You’re not gonna do the interview with us?” Porter angrily snapped, “Nope. Not like this I’m not. Not with seven follow-ups to every single question you ask.” Then, as Watts tried noting that the other candidates were fine with the question, Porter interrupted and angrily snapped, “I don’t care… I have never had to do this before. Ever.”
Watts asked, entertainingly, “You’ve never had to have a conversation with a reporter?” Porter snapped back, “To end an interview.” The two then kept bickering and Watts said, “Okay, why don’t we go through– I will continue to ask follow-up questions because that’s my job as a journalist, but I will go through and ask these and if you don’t want to answer, you don’t want to answer.” Porter said, in a big harumph, “I don’t want to have an unhappy experience with you and I don’t want this all on camera.”
Watch the entertaining incident here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video