A newly released video shows California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter shouting at a staff member during a 2021 online meeting with then Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
In the footage, obtained by Politico, Porter is seen discussing electric vehicles and climate policy when a masked staffer briefly enters the camera frame.
Highlights
- A 2021 video shows Katie Porter yelling at a masked staffer to get out of her camera shot during a virtual meeting with Energy Secretary Granholm.
- Porter has faced criticism for temper issues, including a viral CBS interview where she threatened to end the interview over repeated questions.
- Previous accusations against Porter include mistreatment of staff and allegations from her 2013 divorce citing verbal and physical abuse claims.
Porter immediately interrupts the discussion to yell, “Get out of my f*****g shot!”
Video shows Katie Porter shouting at a staff member
Image credits: Robert Gauthier/Getty Images
The incident took place during a virtual conversation in July 2021, while Porter was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Department of Energy’s final version of the recorded event did not include Porter’s outburst.
After the staffer stepped into view to correct a statement, Porter reprimanded the employee for having been in the background previously.
“You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot,” Porter shouted.
The staffer involved has not been publicly identified.
The video’s resurfacing comes as Porter campaigns for governor of California in the 2026 election.
She is widely seen as the Democratic frontrunner to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. The footage adds to a growing number of incidents that have raised questions about her treatment of staff and her temperament in public settings.
This week, Porter also faced criticism after a separate interview with CBS California went viral.
During a segment on redistricting, reporter Julie Watts asked Porter, “What do you say to the 40% of California voters who you’ll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?”
Porter responded, “How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” while turning to someone off-camera and laughing.
After more follow-up questions from Watts, Porter grew frustrated and said the interview was “unnecessarily argumentative.”
She then reached for her mic, saying, “I don’t want to keep doing this … Not like this, I’m not. Not with seven follow-ups to every single question you ask.”
When Watts noted that all other gubernatorial candidates had been asked the same question, Porter said, “I don’t care.”
“I don’t want to have an unhappy experience with you, and I don’t want this all on camera,” she added.
Watts responded, “I’m an investigative reporter. You’ve never had to have a conversation with a reporter?”
The interview clip spread widely online, drawing criticism of Porter’s ability to handle scrutiny.
Katie Porter also faced criticism for threatening to walk out of a recent CBS interview
“We need a governor who will work to solve hard problems and who is not afraid to answer simple questions,” a spokesperson for Antonio Villaraigosa, another Democratic candidate for governor, said in a statement.
Democratic candidate Tony Thurmond said, “No candidate for Governor should hide from the press or mistreat them—we owe it to the public to be transparent.”
Concerns about Porter’s workplace conduct are not new.
In 2022, she faced accusations of mistreating staff after allegedly demoting Wounded Warrior fellow Sasha Georgiades, claiming the employee had given her COVID-19.
Court records from Porter’s 2013 divorce also surfaced in past reporting, in which her ex-husband, Matthew Hoffman, accused her of verbal and physical abuse.
Image credits: Jerod Harris/Getty Images
He stated that she had thrown objects at him and once poured hot mashed potatoes on his head.
“When she gets angry, she will claw and scratch her arms and then say to me, ‘Look what you made me do,’” Hoffman stated in court papers.
He also alleged that Porter would disparage him in front of their children, causing the kids to spit on him.
Porter previously said she was a victim of domestic violence in another relationship and obtained a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend.
In a statement to Politico, Porter said, “It’s no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress. I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work.”