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Former California congresswoman Katie Porter is attempting to property "reset" connected her run for politician pursuing a disastrous week that started with a video of a tense exchange with a writer and past evolved into a broader critique of her temperament erstwhile different video surfaced.
Porter sat down for an exclusive interrogation with Inside California Politics big Nikki Laurenzo connected Tuesday, wherever she expressed regret.
"When I look astatine those videos, I privation radical to cognize that I recognize that I could person handled things better," Porter said. "I deliberation I'm known arsenic idiosyncratic who's capable to grip pugnacious questions, who's consenting to reply questions, and I privation radical to cognize that I truly worth the unthinkable enactment that my unit tin do."
Porter's readiness for California's highest bureau came into question aft a snippet of her interrogation with CBS newsman Julie Watts successful Sacramento went viral past Wednesday. In it, the Orange County Democrat dismissed the conception that she needed to enlistee Trump voters to triumph the gubernatorial race. Then, erstwhile pressed connected her response, Porter threatened to locomotion retired connected the interview, calling the reporter's questioning "unnecessarily argumentative."
Porter said, "I don't privation to support doing this. I'm going to telephone it," earlier yet deciding to proceed with the interview.
Katie Porter sits down for an interrogation astatine KTLA 5 News connected Oct. 14, 2025.Her opponents, some wrong and extracurricular of her party, rapidly pounced. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, portion of a crowded tract of declared candidates for governor, produced a three-minute run ad with the CBS interrogation that ended with Villaraigosa saying: "We request leaders who volition lick hard problems and reply elemental questions."
Social media comments were besides scathing.
Criticism of Porter became amplified erstwhile a video from 2021 emerged successful which Porter shouted astatine a staffer to "Get retired of my f---ing shot" during a Zoom interrogation with then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Porter said she aboriginal apologized to the staffer.
"I volition proceed to effort to clasp myself to bash better," Porter told Laurenzo. "That's what I tin promise."
Porter said she understood the backlash from voters but insisted her defiance and passionateness are strengths – not drawbacks.
"I'm going to beryllium focused connected earning their votes and earning their trust," she said. "I americium taking work for this situation, and I'm besides not going to backmost down from warring backmost for California, from being tough. I don't deliberation this is simply a infinitesimal wherever the aforesaid old, aforesaid old, is going to chopped it."
In September, an Emerson College poll commissioned by Inside California Politics recovered Porter starring the contention for politician with 16 percent support, followed by Republican governmental commentator Steve Hilton astatine 10 percent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco astatine 8 percent, and erstwhile Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra with 5%.
No polling has been released since past week's upheaval.
Porter, a Harvard Law School postgraduate who served successful Congress from 2019 to 2025, besides drew disapproval implicit comments she made aft failing to beforehand to the wide predetermination successful past year's unfastened U.S. Senate race. She claimed peculiar interests tried to "rig" the election – a remark she aboriginal apologized for.
Despite the disapproval from some wrong her enactment and the GOP, Porter inactive has supporters. Although, erstwhile asked specifically who, Porter couldn't instantly recall.
Laurenzo: "Have you heard from immoderate different Democrats? Have they reached retired to you?"
Porter: "Yes, of course."
Laurenzo: "Who has reached retired to you?"
Porter: "Well, I couldn't archer you disconnected the apical of my head, due to the fact that I've gotten tons of substance messages ... arsenic you mightiness expect."
Laurenzo: "What did they say? Words of support? Can you springiness maine thing specific?"
Porter: "As you've seen publicly, galore of the groups that enactment me, groups similar the Teamsters, person said that they're arrogant to basal with me, due to the fact that they cognize I'm going to combat for California, that they cognize I'm going to beryllium tough, that they deliberation what's needed is the level of spot of quality successful this moment."
Indeed, some the Teamsters national and U.S. Rep. Dave Min, who holds Porter's erstwhile Orange County seat, person expressed support.
"In this captious infinitesimal successful our country, we don't request to beryllium polite, spell on to get along, constitution politicians that support getting tally implicit by the opposition," said Teamsters California Co-Chairs Peter Finn and Chris Griswold. "We request beardown leaders similar Katie Porter who are consenting to telephone it similar it is and basal up and combat for mundane Californians."
The contention for politician remains fluid arsenic 2 imaginable heavyweights, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and billionaire developer Rick Caruso, person not yet announced if they volition so run. The deadline to state is March 6.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
