Testy Interview Has Some Calling for Katie Porter to Exit Governor's Race

A tense on-air exchange has catapulted California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter into the spotlight—and not in a good way. Porter, former congresswoman and current Democratic frontrunner in the 2026 race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, found herself at the center of a political firestorm this week after a contentious interview with CBS Sacramento's Julie Watts went viral, the New York Times reports. The three-minute clip shows Porter bristling at questions about whether she needs to win over Republican voters, at one point dismissing the premise and suggesting she might walk out over repeated follow-up questions.

The exchange quickly became fodder for both rivals and commentators. Fellow Democrats accused Porter of acting as if the race was already decided and criticized her handling of basic questions, while Republican figures and conservative personalities also weighed in, with Megyn Kelly calling the interview "the most entertaining, unifying thing since tiger king!" By Wednesday, a clip posted on X had drawn more than two million views.

Porter's campaign sought to downplay the incident, noting she stayed for the remainder of the interview and answered further questions. CBS confirmed she completed the scheduled segment. Still, the episode offered opponents an opening in what has largely been an uneventful race so far. Democratic competitors pounced, with former state controller Betty Yee calling for Porter to drop out, and former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa releasing a campaign ad built almost entirely around the exchange. Fox News rounds up more reactions, but notes that Watts encouraged people to watch the entire segment with Porter.

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The governor's race, which has been slow to take shape after Kamala Harris opted not to run and other top Democrats exited due to low poll numbers, now finds Porter facing renewed scrutiny. Politico resurfaced a 2021 video showing Porter cussing out a staffer, which added to the controversy. "Californians are hungry for a governor who they trust can fight for them against Trump," a Porter campaign spokesperson said in response to the CBS interview. "They know from her work taking on powerful interests in Washington that Katie is never going to be shy about calling out bulls---, and that is why every poll shows Katie firmly in the lead."