Process
Status Items Highlights Done See section below Claims None Questions None Output None
Highlights
Time 0:48:51
Katie Porter Controversy
- After losing the California Senate race, Katie Porter claimed the race was rigged by billionaires.
- A super PAC funded by crypto billionaires spent $10 million against her.
- The news media attacked Porter for her comments, even though she didn’t allege voter fraud.
- Adam Schiff criticized Porter’s language, and the Democratic Party distanced itself from her.
- Porter later backtracked and wished she had used different words.
- This shows how difficult it is to honestly discuss corruption. Transcript: David Sirota In early 2024, this happened. Speaker 2 After failing to advance the general election in the California’s U.S. Senate race, Congresswoman Katie Porter is now claiming that the race was rigged by billionaires. On social media last night, she thanked supporters for voting, posting, quote, we had the establishment running scared withstanding three to one in TV spending and an onslaught of David Sirota Billionaires spending millions to rig this election. Porter’s comments were statements of the obvious. Yes, a super PAC funded by crypto billionaires absolutely had spent $10 million against Porter. Yes, Porter was outspent in the Senate race. And yes, getting outspent often sways election results. But when Porter dared to call that out in unvarnished terms, it was whipped up into a controversy. Orange County Democrat Katie Porter now facing backlash within her own party after she said billionaires spent millions to rig the election. Porter made very clear that she wasn’t pulling a Donald Trump and denying the election results or alleging voter fraud. But that didn’t matter. The news media, which is supposed to be a watchdog against corruption, it went on the attack with a barrage of headlines slamming Porter. Here’s CNN joining the dogpile. Katie Porter, a Democratic congresswoman, complained in her concession speech and since then on Twitter saying her campaign had to withstand, quote, an onslaught of billionaires Spending millions to rig this election. Let me just state, that’s not what rigging an election is. The whole thing was an attempt to control language, as Porter’s Democratic opponent, Adam Schiff, made clear. Speaker 2 No Democrat should be using that language. And what I think is notable is the Democratic Party quickly said, hey, you don’t go there. There is a real incredible difference between the parties when it comes to defensive democracy, but we just do not use that language. David Sirota Talk about slimy. This attempt to equate Porter’s legitimate criticism of the corrupt campaign finance system with Trumpian lies, it was grotesque, but it worked. And Porter backtracked. Speaker 2 I wish I had chosen a different word because big money does influence our elections.