California candidate threatens to cut off testy interview over “follow-up questions”

California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter found herself in an uncomfortable spotlight Tuesday after a tense exchange with CBS News reporter Julie Watts spiraled into an on-camera confrontation that included the former congresswoman threatening to walk out of the interview. 

The back-and-forth began when Watts asked what Porter would say to the 40% of Californians who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, voters who the journalist said, Porter will “need in order to win.”

“How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” Porter replied dismissively. When the reporter clarified—“What do you say to the voters who support Trump?”—Porter pushed back again: “I’m happy to say that. It’s the ‘do you need them to win’ part that I don’t understand.” Porter, who represented a purple district in California’s Orange County from 2019 to 2025, said that she did not plan to face a fellow Democrat in the state’s general election, and that, if up against a Republican, she could win without needing votes from Trump supporters. 

Moments later, the congresswoman appeared visibly frustrated. “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m going to call it,” she said, before trying to remove her microphone. “Not like this I’m not. Not with seven follow-ups to every single question you ask… I want to have a pleasant, positive conversation… and if every question you’re going to make up a follow-up question, then we’re never going to get there.” 

“I don’t want to have an unhappy experience with you, and I don’t want this all on camera,” she added, moments before the three-minute clip, which went viral online, was cut.

Since this 3min excerpt of 30min segment went viral, we decided to post it ourselves. But I’d encourage you to watch the full segment. https://t.co/wHQcHbybqF @CBSNews @kcalnews @CBSSacramento @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/A80fBGiFxE

— Julie Watts (@juliewattsTV) October 8, 2025

 Porter’s campaign later said she didn’t walk out.

“The interview moved on and continued for another 20 minutes,” a spokesperson said in a statement, a detail the network confirmed.

Still, the optics were damaging. Political rivals and pundits seized on the moment as evidence of a candidate struggling under scrutiny.

“We need a governor who will work to solve hard problems and who is not afraid to answer simple questions,” said a spokesperson for Antonio Villaraigosa, one of Porter’s Democratic opponents, in a statement to Politico. 

Another primary opponent, the state’s superintendent, Tony Thurmond, called it “a pattern” for Porter, in a post on X. “If she can’t answer basic questions from a reporter, how can Californians expect her to stand up to President Trump?” 

Progressive journalist Mehdi Hasan called it “a car crash interview” and a sign of the “broken” relationships between politicians and the media.

“Politicians got use to the idea that interviews should be ‘pleasant positive conversations’. NO! They should be challenging & discomforting,” he wrote on X.