A newly resurfaced Katie Porter video shows the embattled California Democrat yelling at a staffer to “get out of my [expletive] shot” during a 2021 virtual meeting, triggering widespread criticism from within her own party and renewed scrutiny of her treatment of subordinates.
The Katie Porter video, obtained by Politico, captures Porter scolding a staffer who appeared in the background of her online meeting with then–Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. When the aide corrected her comments about electric vehicles, Porter snapped, “You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot.”
The timing could not be worse for Porter, who is running for California governor and has faced years of allegations of abusive behavior toward staff. This week, she also threatened to leave a media interview, saying, “I don’t want to have an unhappy experience with you … And I don’t want this all on camera.”
Democratic strategist Gale Kaufman told Politico, “Is this a disaster? Yes … it amplifies what her reputation already is.” Rival candidate Betty Yee urged Porter to withdraw, saying California needs “a trusted, respected leader … not a viral embarrassment.”
Comparisons to Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar quickly surfaced. Like Klobuchar, Porter has been accused of fostering a toxic workplace and verbally abusing staff. In court filings, her ex-husband alleged she once dumped boiling mashed potatoes on his head, shouting, “Can’t you read the [expletive] directions?”
Porter dismissed the uproar with a recycled defense, saying she holds herself and her team to “a high standard”—a response CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski mocked as “a canned I’m mean to my staff statement.”
