Katie Porter’s meltdown was epic. Can she still be California’s governor? | Opinion
Katie Porter gave a master class in how to blow a lead in a major election when she melted down and nearly walked out of an interview with CBS journalist Julie Watts.
The exchange between Watts and Porter, the Democratic frontrunner for governor, could not have been more painful to watch, especially for those who support the former Orange County congresswoman.
Opponents of Porter should send her a thank you note, because this is the gift that will keep on giving throughout this crowded campaign.
(Also, if Sen. Alex Padilla is still on the fence about entering the race, this may be just the nudge he needs.)
It’s all because Porter antagonistically responded to a (slightly loaded) question in an interview that was focused on the Proposition 50 redistricting measure — one of several interviews Watts conducted with gubernatorial candidates.
Her demeanor spoke volumes
Here’s the question that set Porter off: “What do you say (about Prop. 50) to the 40% of California voters, who you’ll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?” Watts asked.
Porter furrowed her brow.
“How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” she asked.
“Unless you think you’ll get 60% off the vote ...” Watts responded.
“In a general election, yes,” Porter answered.
It went downhill from there, with the candidate calling the interviewer “unnecessarily argumentative,” instructing Watts to “ask the question as you have it written” and accusing her of asking “seven follow-ups for every single question you ask.”
“I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m going to call it,” Porter said at one point. She started to remove her microphone, though she ultimately remained for the rest of the session.
It wasn’t just her words that were inappropriate. It was her demeanor. The smirks. The raised palms. The petulant looks. The condescending tone.
In Porter’s defense, Watt’s question could have been more artfully worded. Claiming outright that Porter would need Trump voters in order to win the election is highly debatable — and Porter chose to debate it.
In questioning some of the other candidates, Watts phrased that particular question differently.
“40% of Californians voted for President Trump. What do you say to those 6 million voters who you also represent as governor?” she asked Democrat Xavier Becrra.
She posed this question to Democrat Ian Calderon: “What do you say to those 40% you may need in a top two California primary?”
And to Democrat Betty Yee: “40% of Californians voted for Trump. What do you say to those voters who say, ‘I’m not aligned with this narrative’?”
Still, there were at least dozen ways Porter could have answered the question without coming across like a bully.
Is she capable of diplomacy?
We’ve already seen this combative side of Katie Porter.
Armed with her whiteboard, she is expert at confronting representatives of Big Oil and Big Pharma and Big Banking, grilling them until they squirm.
But we have not often seen her practice diplomacy, and that’s a critical skill for governors who often must broker compromises for the good of the state.
This campaign is Porter’s opportunity to show that side of herself, and in this instance, she failed in spectacular fashion.
The question is, can Porter regain enough ground to survive the primary and make it to the general election?
Others have pulled it off, including the late, great Sen. John McCain, who was known for letting his temper get the better of him, as this 2008 McClatchy article describes:
“There’s a lengthy list of ... outbursts over the years. McCain pushing a woman in a wheelchair, trying to get an Arizona Republican aide fired from three different jobs, berating a young GOP activist on the night of his own 1986 Senate election and many more.”
Yet that didn’t stop him from securing the Republican nomination for president.
Porter could stage a similar comeback, but a lot will depend on her reaction, as well as on the performances of the other candidates, who have yet to make many inroads with voters.
Porter should offer an explanation, along with an apology, sooner rather than later. It can be short — but it must be humble.
No more of this “I’m the smartest person in the room” stuff (though she actually may be). And absolutely no more outbursts — not even little ones.
There is no doubt that Katie Porter’s regrettable performance has shaken many voters who are now questioning whether she is capable of governing the state of California, especially in the current political climate.
Fortunately for her, she has nine months to show that she does.
Let’s see if she pulls it off.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 2:41 PM.
