Democratic Representative Katie Porter (CA) has come under fire from accusations that she physically and verbally abused her ex-husband (while they were together), as well as accusations that she has fostered a toxic work environment as congresswoman. But those credible accusations were of little interest to the ladies of ABC’s The View on Monday, seeing as they were too busy promoting Porter’s run for Senate and pushing her to run for president at some point.
According to an exclusive report from the U.K.-based Daily Mail last week, Porter’s then-husband Matthew Hoffman alleged Porter injured him by dumping a bowl of “steaming hot potatoes” on his head. Recounting another one of Hoffman’s accusations, they noted “Porter came home from work one day enraged that the house was not clean and slammed a glass coffee pot on the counter, causing glass shards to spray everywhere and cut him.”
If this was a case of a male politician accused of abusing an ex-wife, The View would certainly have pressed him on the matter. But that’s not what occurred when racist co-host Sunny Hostin massaged the story and teed up Porter to knock it down without mentioning any of the details:
In 2013, you requested and we're granted an emergency protective order against her then-husband you say physically abused you. Your ex-husband has made his own allegations saying you abused him, but nevertheless – that you abused him verbally and physically during your marriage. Is any of that true? And what do you think this is really about?
“So, I think what we see very frequently is that when people are survivors of domestic violence, people try to silence them because it's an uncomfortable topic for people, especially for men,” Porter opined, asking them to drop the question because “my kids and I and I think my ex-husband would all like to move on from this.”
Porter went on to suggest the abuse allegations were mostly an obsession of “Fox News” and other “right-wing media.” Falsely suggesting, “It only comes up in this contexts where people are trying to tear down a strong outspoken woman.”
Late last year, it was discovered that Porter had mistreated and effectively fired Wounded Warrior Fellow Sasha Georgiades because she had contracted COVID. Porter also accused Georgiades of giving her COIVD, without evidence. She also alleged Porter “made multiple staffers cry and people are generally so anxious to even staff her because if ANYTHING goes wrong she flips out on whatever staffer is present.”
For these accusations, faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin limply prompted Porter for her side:
Well, I do want to take a minute to ask you about another allegation. There have been some reports alleging that you created a toxic workplace for staff and I want to give you a chance to respond.
“Look, I am incredibly proud of my staff. The book is dedicated to my staff and my volunteers,” Porter defended herself.
Farah Griffin ignored the fact that accusations of a toxic workplace were coming from women when Porter suggested sexism and racism were behind them. “And so, we see this again and again lots of the so-called bad bosses are women and disproportionately people of color,” Porter, who is white, proclaimed.
Meanwhile, The View was essentially giving Porter an in-kind campaign donation as they promoted her run for the seat currently occupied by retiring Senator Dianne Feinstein (D). Even saying she should run for president:
SARA HAINES: Back in January you announce your plans to run for Diana [sic] Feinstein’s Senate seat when she retires in 2024. Why that move from Congress – Why the move from the House to Senate?
(…)
WHOOP GOLDBERG: I tell you. When you’re ready to run for president – You know. Because you knock me out! You do!
Porter was on the show to promote her book and it wasn’t until they were nearing the end that faux conservative Ana Navarro admitted that co-host Whoopi Goldberg “loved this book so much she even wrote a review on the back of the book.” The quote then appeared on-screen: “The fact that this book is helping to explain the mess in politics thrills me to no end… a great read.”
The View’s refusal to drill down on the abuse accusations was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Dawn and Red Lobster. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
April 17, 2023
11:29:25 a.m. Eastern(…)
SARA HAINES: Back in January you announce your plans to run for Diana [sic] Feinstein’s Senate seat when she retires in 2024. Why that move from Congress – Why the move from the House to Senate?
(…)
11:31:10 a.m. Eastern
WHOOP GOLDBERG: I tell you. When you’re ready to run for president –
[laughter, cheers, and applause]
You know. Because you knock me out! You do! And we are coming back with more with Congresswoman Katie Porter when we come back.
(…)
11:37:49 a.m. Eastern
SUNNY HOSTIN: And you discuss this in your book, actually. In 2013, you requested and we're granted an emergency protective order against her then-husband you say physically abused you. Your ex-husband has made his own allegations saying you abused him, but nevertheless – that you abused him verbally and physically during your marriage. Is any of that true? And what do you think this is really about?
REP. KATIE PORTER (D-CA): Yeah. So, I think what we see very frequently is that when people are survivors of domestic violence, people try to silence them because it's an uncomfortable topic for people especially for men.
And so, what I would say is that my kids and I and I think my ex-husband would all like to move on from this. All of these discussions are very, very hard on my children. I talk about in the book that having to rebut this publicly is maybe the only political decision I've ever had to make. The only – Not a vote, not a campaign contribution. I have lived my values, but having two.
HOSTIN: Yeah. I’m surprised it comes up politically.
PORTER: Well, I am too. And it only comes up with – it's Fox News, it's right wing media. It’s these Democratic infighting. It only comes up in this contexts where people are trying to tear down a strong outspoken woman.
GOLDBERG: Yeah.
HOSTIN: Yeah.
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Well, I do want to take a minute to ask you about another allegation. There have been some reports alleging that you created a toxic workplace for staff and I want to give you a chance to respond.
PORTER: Look, I am incredibly proud of my staff. The book is dedicated to my staff and my volunteers. And I say this in the book and in the dedication, and it’s true. I may stand in front of them, but they are really the ones that are leading the way.
For every viral moment you see, for every whiteboard that I get the word spelled correctly and I know what I'm talking about, there's a ton of amazing people behind me and helping me and I'm so grateful for them.
You know, I think we see – and I saw this as a professor certainly – female professors, particularly women of color get much worse teaching evaluations.
HOSTIN: Yes.
PORTER: And even when all the professional evaluations are the same. And so, we see this again and again lots of the so-called bad bosses are women and disproportionately people of color. I think it’s really unfortunate because those are the very voices we need more of in our government.
So, I'm proud of my staff. I’m proud of the relationship we’ve built. I’m proud to have them as my team moving forward.
ANA NAVARRO: So, let me ask you – let me go back to the book because as she mentioned, Whoopi loved this book so much she even wrote a review on the back of the book.
(…)
