Xavier Becerra lectures KTLA reporter on doing ‘profile,’ not ‘gotcha’ interview

Democratic California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra is coming under fire from critics for a controversial exchange with a local reporter about whether he had subjected her to a “catch piece.”

Becerra, now considered one of the leading Democratic candidates in California’s jungle primary following the departure of disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, sat down with KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos as part of the station’s interview series about the top candidates in the race.

But in the interview published Tuesday, Becerra appeared to be trying to hammer out terms with the reporter.

“By the way, this is a profile piece. This isn’t a captured piece, is it?” Becerra to start.

MULTIPLE BIDEN OFFICIALS SHOOT FORMER CABINET STAFF, CA SHOCKED BY THEIR RISE IN THE GOVERNOR’S RACE

“Look, I think these questions are fair. This is to learn about you as a candidate,” Ramos responded.

“As long as it relates to the profile,” Becerra doubled down.

“I don’t know how you define the profile, but I want to start the interview,” Ramos said.

“The way I describe the profile is you talk about everything I’ve done, things I want to do — with some tough questions, but not just tough questions,” Becerra said.

FORMER BIDEN DOJ Spokesperson SURPRISES THE PANEL BY SAYING HE DOES NOT TRUST THE LEADING DEM CANDIDATE WHO WILL BECOME CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

In fact, Becerra has faced tough questions, including how he will address homelessness and his record as Biden-era Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary; specifically, he claims his agency has lost track of more than 85,000 immigrant children who entered the country illegally.

Becerra is widely seen as the leading Democratic candidate in California’s forest primary. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Ramos later told his KTLA colleagues that he was “caught off guard” by Becerra’s comments and said his experience was “significantly different” from other candidates he had sat with.

“It means starting out this way, before I even ask a question…sometimes asking tough questions but allowing our audience to get to know each candidate,” Ramos said. “That’s why not only me, but also our editors and executive producers at KTLA, decided to include this part in this article.”

FORMER TOP BIDEN OFFICIAL REVEALS HIS SCANDAL PAST IN HEATED DEBATE: ‘MORE FRAUD’

KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos said she was “caught off guard” by Becerra’s comments to her at the beginning of the interview. (Thoss Katopodis/Getty Images)

Becerra’s behavior was widely criticized on social media.

“A man tells a young woman how to do her job, this just aired on KTLA Los Angeles. Dude, it’s 2026,” Democratic strategist Michael Trujillo reacted.

“Politicians and candidates… Let your staff make these whiny speeches! Or at least don’t do it on camera!” exclaimed Tommy Vietor, co-host of the Pod Save America podcast.

“This is no surprise to anyone who covers Becerra. He once held up his fingers in the sign of a cross to push me away as if I were a vampire, after a piece that accurately described his effort to undermine Pelosi with the Prog Caucus over the ACA’s public option,” NBC News correspondent Jonathan Allen said, referring to a 2010 incident when Becerra was a congressman.

“How come Fauci is the face of Biden’s Covid-19 response and not the HHS secretary? We may never know,” Semaphore reporter David Weigel joked.

Others drew comparisons to Democratic gubernatorial rival Katie Porter, who had a similar exchange with CBS California correspondent Julie Watts last year, telling her she didn’t want to have an “unhappy experience” and threatening to walk out of the interview after receiving follow-up questions.

The Becerra campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CLICK TO REACH THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION