Former Rep. Katie Porter expresses remorse about her behavior in damaging videos
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter, who has come under fire over recently surfaced videos showing her berating a reporter and swearing at an aide, expressed regret for her actions Tuesday in her first public address since the events became public.
Porter, a former congressman from Orange County and one of the top candidates in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race, said he could “handle things better.”
“I think I’m known as someone who can deal with tough questions, who is willing to answer questions,” Porter told Nikki Laurenzo, host of Inside California Politics and host of Fox40 in Sacramento. “I want people to know that I really value the incredible work my staff can do. I think people who know me know I can be strong. But I need to do a better job of expressing my appreciation for the amazing job my staff does.”
Last week, video surfaced of Porter telling a separate television interviewer that he didn’t need the support of millions of Californians who voted for President Trump and harshly threatening to end the interview because the reporter asked follow-up questions. The next day, Porter reportedly told a young staff member, “Get out of my damn chute!” A second video emerged in which he said: While videoconferencing with a member of then-President Biden’s cabinet in 2021.
Porter said he apologized to staff on Tuesday. He repeatedly dodged Laurenzo’s questions about whether more videos would emerge.
“What I can tell you is that I take responsibility for the situation,” Porter said.
Porter’s behavior in the videos underscored long-standing questions about his temperament and high turnover during his time in Congress.
The latest polls showed Porter with a narrow lead in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is serving his second and final term as governor. After the videos emerged last week, many of Porter’s opponents criticized his behavior, including former state comptroller Betty Yee, who said he should drop out of the race.
On Tuesday, Yee argued that Porter’s temperament could jeopardize Democrats’ efforts to pass Proposition 50, a Nov. 4 ballot measure that would realign congressional districts in California to increase their party’s numbers in the House.
Yee, the former vice chair of the state Democratic party, warned that a Republican could potentially win the governor’s race and Democrats could lose the U.S. House of Representatives because of Porter’s “attitude.”
“I don’t like to fight, and this isn’t even a fight,” Yee said during a virtual press conference. “I’m doing what’s best for this party.”
Porter is also expected to address the issue at a virtual forum with the California Working Families Party on Tuesday night.
Before his remarks on Tuesday, Porter had released a statement about the 2021 video: “It’s no secret that I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that’s been especially true as a member of Congress. I’ve tried to be more intentional about showing my gratitude to my staff for their important work.”
The UC Irvine law professor did not respond to multiple interview requests from the Times.
Mehta reported. Los Angeles and Smith reported from Sacramento.
