Katie Porter took a firm stance against President Donald Trump during the California gubernatorial debate on Tuesday evening. The former Congresswoman and current Democratic candidate was questioned by moderator Kaitlan Collins about a recent fundraising email from her campaign, which featured the bold subject line, “F— Trump.” The email further promised to “defeat Trump in November.” When asked if this anti-Trump sentiment would define her dealings with the president, Porter responded, “If he’s going to target California, then yes, F him.”
Packed Primary Debate
Porter was one of seven candidates participating in the debate hosted by CNN. Alongside her were Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, as well as fellow Democrats Tom Steyer, Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Polls indicate Porter holds between 8 and 20 percent in the race, while Steyer and Becerra lead the pack, with Hilton close behind, buoyed by Trump’s endorsement. In a previous interview in 2025, Porter notably distanced herself from the 40 percent of Californians who supported Trump, approximately 6.1 million people, declaring she did not require their backing. The California primary is fast approaching, set for June 2nd, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the general election, regardless of party.
Cowboy Up, Cupcake
During the debate, Porter also exchanged heated words with GOP candidate Chad Bianco, the current sheriff of Riverside County, telling him to “cowboy up, cupcake.” Katie Zacharia, a Californian who served as the Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman under Trump, expressed no surprise at Porter’s fiery rhetoric. “No one should be shocked by the lengths Katie Porter will go to disparage her rivals or the President,” Zacharia remarked, referencing past controversies involving Porter. In an interview with CBS California’s Julia Watts, Porter dismissed inquiries about winning over Trump supporters, labeling the discussion as “unnecessarily combative.” In a widely shared clip, Watts pressed Porter on Governor Gavin Newsom’s efforts to redistrict in favor of Democrats and questioned how Porter planned to address Trump supporters. Porter, unfazed, retorted, “Why do I need them to win, ma’am?” as Watts persisted.
‘Unless you think you’re going to get 60 percent of the vote. You think you’ll get 60 percent? Everyone who did not vote for Trump will vote for you?’ the reporter pressed. Porter laughed before replying: ‘If it is me versus a Republican? I think that I will win the people who did not vote for Trump.’ Watts then reminded Porter that California operates a jungle primary, in which candidates from all parties compete, with only the top two advancing to the general election, meaning Porter could yet face a fellow Democrat. Porter’s latest ad pokes fun at her viral meltdown, but has also been panned online. The California gubernatorial field was blown wide open after former Congressman Eric Swalwell quit the race in April following allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman who worked under him. Cynthia Kaui, a GOP California politico, told the Daily Mail that ‘President Donald Trump ’s endorsement [of Hilton] carries significant weight with Republican and NPP [No Party Preference] voters because he remains deeply popular with the conservative base.’
‘Sheriff Chad Bianco has also built a strong reputation throughout Riverside County and across California as a bold, courageous leader who stood firmly for his community during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Voters see him as someone willing to take principled stands under pressure, while Katie Porter continues to face criticism over allegations regarding the treatment of her staffers,’ Kaui added. Steyer and Becerra have since risen to the top of the Democrat pack — with the contest raising the prospect that both general election finalists could come from the same party. Steyer has been hammering Becerra with attack ads for weeks, but tonight’s CNN debate marks his first real opportunity to take that fight directly to the former health secretary on a national stage.
A new California Democratic Party poll showed Becerra leading Steyer by 6 points at 18 percent support. The showing is notable because the survey was conducted after Steyer’s ads began airing, suggesting the attacks have so far failed to dent Becerra’s standing. Steyer has gone after Becerra on several fronts – his HHS tenure, a corruption scandal involving a former chief of staff (Becerra himself has not been implicated), and ties to oil industry money, but had conspicuously avoided direct confrontation during two previous televised debates. Swalwell has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least five women, including a former staffer who alleged that Swalwell, who is married, raped her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent, in 2019 and 2024. She is one of four women who have made allegations against the Democrat. Swalwell then announced he was suspending his campaign, saying he was ‘deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,’ while disputing what he called ‘false allegations’ against him.
