Embarrassing Katie Porter Outbursts Caught On Tape

By Cole Hediger
Katie Porter, wide-eyed, and lips pursed with her hand raised. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Over the course of Katie Porter's many years in American politics, she has been faced with leaked images, videos, and texts that paint her all-smiles public persona with a more truthful, darker image of the former U.S. rep. You would think that, being caught in bad behavior time and time again, leading to media headlines about the horrible treatment of staff and unkind interactions with journalists, Porter would recognize the coverage as a wake-up call. Yet, as her career creeps on, Porter is caught in more and more instances of poor treatment of others and explicit rants that would make your grandmother blush. In 2025, as she runs for Governor of California, these outbursts are not helping her garner support. 

Although she is a frontrunner in the 2025 governor election in the Golden State, the foul-mouthed democrat's behavior has already turned people off. As concerns about the volatile politician swirled on social media, one X user shared a clip from an October 2025 leaked video, clarifying, "Someone who used to work with Katie Porter sent me this clip from a train-wreck interview with her," before raising a powerful point about the temperamental representative: "Now imagine what she's like when there aren't cameras around." 

Katie Porter threatened to end an interview over a reporter's question

Katie Porter speaking and gesturing with her hands Josh Edelson/Getty Images

On her campaign tour ahead of the end of controversial Governor Gavin Newsom's second term, former California Representative Katie Porter joined CBS News investigative reporter Julie Watts in an interview that led to Porter nearly walking out. After being asked what she says to the valuable 40% of Trump voters who would be unlikely to vote for the democrat, Porter told Watts that she didn't need the voters. When Watts pushed her on this answer that seemingly dismissed a sizable fraction of eligible voters — citizens she would represent should she become governor — Porter suddenly attempted to end the interview. "I don't want to keep doing this, I'm gonna call it," she announced before reaching for her microphone (via CBS News).

When Watts clarified that she had asked the question to every other candidate without problem, Porter shut her down, saying, "I don't care. I don't care." As the reporter tried to come to a compromise, Porter's bad behavior continued with her interrupting, slapping her hands against her thighs, and even refusing to look at Watts as she continued to speak. Though in October 2025, when the interview was recorded, Porter was the leading candidate for the gubernatorial election, there's a chance her inability and unwillingness to answer questions may have worked against the representative's campaign. 

A leaked video showed Porter cursing out a staffer

Katie Porter standing in front of protestors, talking into a microphone Alex Wong/Getty Images

The role of a representative can be stressful, but with a job description widely known to the public, stepping into it means accepting the pressure of politics. Following Porter's outburst towards a CBS reporter in October 2025, another video surfaced, showcasing the representative's inability to keep a level head. The short video was an excerpt from a July 2021 Zoom discussion between then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Porter. The gubernatorial candidate sits with her back toward a kitchen area. Suddenly, noting a staffer's presence behind her in the camera, she explodes in an explicit telling-off of her employee. 

"Get out of my f***ing shot!" Porter shouts without turning around to face the staffer. In response to her outburst, Porter's employee tries to explain herself, but Porter is having none of it. She continues her reprimand, punctuating her orders to the employee with taps on her desk.  In an interview with "Inside California Politics" following the video leak, Porter addressed her caught-on-camera behavior, saying, "What I did to that staffer was wrong. I've acknowledged it to her in that moment, and I'm acknowledging it now." Throughout the interview, the representative excused her volatile temperament as a sign of her toughness and strength. 

Porter is angered by on-camera technical difficulties

Katie Porter talking into a microphone with her hand raised and ehr mouth open. Josh Edelson/Getty Images

October 2025 proved to be tough for gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter. Following the one-two punch of Porter's disastrous CBS interview and the video of her cursing at a staffer in 2021, a third video was leaked online that showed he in another tense interaction with staffers. The clip was taken from a Zoom interview, reportedly from 2021. It started out fine, even light, until the conversation volleyed to Porter, who was seated in a television studio. Bright white lights washed out the representative's face, and she was quick to make a small joke to viewers about her blinding appearance. However, as she proceeds to ask an unseen staffer to adjust the lighting, Porter's disgruntled attitude is quick to surface. 

While the lights are being sorted out, a second employee suggests moving the computer, and Porter responds with an agreement dripping in sarcasm. The situation only escalates when the lights are abruptly turned off. Before Porter disables her camera, she can be seen with pursed lips and a menacing side glare. Although she is able to bite her tongue and avoids saying anything too out of line, her attitude and venomous looks toward off-camera staffers reveal that Porter's short temper is not an isolated event, but a continuous pattern. Her behavior in the clip was slightly less baffling than one of Trump's awkward, caught-on-camera handshakes, but the uncomfortable exchange is another telling beat from Porter. 

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