In a sharp talk, Porter tried to cut off a chat with a CBS news person quickly. She used to work in the U.S. Congress and is known for her strong and fiery vibe. She looked a bit upset when asked how she aims to win over Republican voters in her move to take over Gov. Gavin Newsom's spot.
The video, shot last month and shown on Monday, got a lot of views. In it, Porter tells the reporter she doesn't want all this on camera, and the talk goes wrong. She said:
"I don't want this all on camera."
Katie Porter gets flustered in a viral interview over winning Trump voters
Democratic candidate Katie Porter faced a tense moment during a recent interview when pressed on how she plans to win over the 40% of California voters who supported Trump. In the same interview with reporter Julie Watts, Porter attempted to remain calm but soon became frustrated, terming the questioning as unnecessarily argumentative, and attempted to end the interview. Julie Watts asked her:
"What do you say to the 40% of California voters, who you’ll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?"
Porter said:
"I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative. What is your question?"
The reporter asked:
"Every other candidate has answered this question. This is not argumentative."
Then, Katie Porter replied:
"I don't want to keep doing this. I'm going to call it... I want to have a pleasant, positive conversation… And if every question you're going to make up a follow-up question, then we're never going to get there... I don't want this all on camera... I've never had to do this before "
The video that has since gone viral depicts Porter having a hard time trying to deal with follow-ups, at one point telling them she has never had to do this before. The interview was extended to another 20 minutes off-camera, which was later explained by Porter in her campaign, and is now a reminder of how tough it is to take difficult questions in the spotlight.
What do the netizens say?
As soon as the interview clip went viral, backlash erupted. Here are some fans' reactions:
"Someone tell her leadership often requires "unhappy experiences" and "unpleasant conversations," a user commented.
""...and I don't want this all on camera." Oops. Wonder if she'll be suing CBS today," another user commented.
"I believe it! Don’t get her coffee order wrong, interns! She doesn't want to have an "unhappy experience with you!," a netizen expressed.
"She's running for governer but can't deal with… dialogue," another user commented.
"What an infant. Give me easy questions to answer and do not dare ask clarification questions. I'm surprised she didn't stomp her foot," a user wrote.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 28: Congresswoman Katie Porter speaks at the "Just Majority" Irvine Press Conference on May 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Demand Justice)