Final week economically progressive California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter obtained the unhealthy jacketing remedy from institution Democrats who seized on a snippy interview she gave an area CBS station.
Unhealthy Jacketing, Confirmed COINTELPRO Tactic
For these not acquainted with the time period, Ward Churchill and Jim Vander Wall outlined it thusly of their guide Brokers of Repression: The FBI’s Secret Wars In opposition to the Black Panther Get together and the American Indian Motion:
“Snitch-jacketing” or “bad-jacketing” refers back to the apply of making suspicion — by means of the unfold of rumors, manufacture of proof, and so forth — that bona fide organizational members, often in key positions, are FBI/police informers, responsible of such offenses as skimming organizational funds and the like. The aim of this tactic was to “isolate and get rid of” organizational management; such efforts had been continued — and in some cases accelerated — when it turned identified that the probably consequence could be excessive bodily violence visited upon the “jacketed” particular person(s).
In our farcical 2025 timeline, these methods have been changed by (principally) on-line analogues.
Katie Porter Has Made Many Institution Enemies
First up, we’ve obtained former U.S. Consultant Katie Porter who was main the 2026 California gubernatorial race in a number of polls and fundraising.
Porter turned nationally identified (and a favourite at Bare Capitalism) for exchanges like this one with JP Morgan Chase CEO Jaimie Dimon:
Rep. Katie Porter challenged huge financial institution CEO Jamie Dimon to pay his staff a dwelling wage by actually exhibiting him the maths pic.twitter.com/FpzxrIc8Co
— ᴿealfarmacist (@real_farmacist) April 13, 2019
She additionally earned kudos for a 2021 report on Massive Pharma:
Rep. Katie Porter on Friday revealed a damning report revealing the devastating results of Massive Pharma mergers and acquisitions on U.S. healthcare, and recommending steps Congress ought to take to enact “complete, pressing reform” of an integral a part of a damaged healthcare system.
The report, entitled Killer Income: How Massive Pharma Takeovers Destroy Innovation and Hurt Sufferers, begins by noting that “in simply 10 years, the variety of giant, worldwide pharmaceutical corporations decreased six-fold, from 60 to solely 10.”
Porter additionally went viral for roasting the CEO of Abbvie, a pharmaceutical firm:
Naturally, company Dems, led by Nancy Pelosi, pushed her off the Home Monetary Providers Committee in 2021.
As Howie Klein reported on the time, “Pelosi has pushed her off the committee on the urging on the banksters, the Fed and Wall Road particular pursuits. In a dialog with one other member of the committee, an admirer of Porter’s, I used to be instructed that it was a mixture of the Fed and Wall Road that demanded her removing.”
The Los Angeles Instances had extra on the feathers Porter ruffled en path to getting knifed within the again in a bit headlined, “Home Democrats liked her, till she made them squirm”:
Porter just lately took intention at Home Democrats’ guidelines and traditions for what’s often a behind-the-scenes competitors to find out which lawmakers sit on which coveted committees.
It was a calculated high-stakes gamble that resulted in Porter not returning this 12 months to sit down on the Monetary Providers Committee, one of many Home’s most sought-after panels and one for which the previous chapter and client regulation professor was extremely suited.
Her sharp-elbowed maneuvering and willingness to publicly confront get together leaders comparable to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Los Angeles Rep. Maxine Waters underscored the brash dedication that made Porter the shock nationwide standout of California’s 2018 Home freshman class — and a powerful contender for the U.S. Senate sometime.
However in an establishment fueled by seniority and relationships — particularly inside one’s personal get together — Porter’s tendency to ruffle feathers may value her the allies she is going to want sooner or later so as to get laws accepted.…“It is a place that operates on relationships,” mentioned one Democratic lawmaker, echoing a sentiment repeated by others however talking on situation of anonymity. “These items don’t win Katie any pals.”…“It’s so laborious to interrupt out and have a nationwide presence,” mentioned longtime Democratic operative Invoice Carrick. “She managed to have the ability to do this in her first time period, particularly on the Monetary Providers aspect.”…Porter instantly clashed with committee Chairwoman Waters, a strong member of the California delegation who’s shut with Pelosi. Along with balancing the wants of her get together’s moderates with the boisterous newcomers, Waters, a longtime drive on Democrats’ left flank, didn’t at all times see eye to eye with the brand new crop of progressives.
The primary time Porter tried to make use of a poster board within the committee, Waters upheld a Republican objection, citing committee guidelines. When Porter got here again to a different listening to with a “Monetary Providers bingo” board, Waters once more instructed her to take it down. “We’ve talked about this earlier than,” she mentioned.
Porter balked at Waters’ ruling. “Are we including further committee guidelines right now?” requested Porter, whose use of such props was not a problem on the Home Oversight Committee.In a present of her rising political star energy, Porter ultimately obtained to show the bingo poster — on “Late Evening with Seth Meyers.”
Heidi N. Moore summed up Porter’s biggest hits:
Porter didn’t simply bust Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan for bullshitting, it was about one thing essential: The willingness of Wall Road executives to pledge publicly that they had been dedicated to successful buyer belief when, in truth, Porter had proof that the corporate noticed these statements as bullshit. Sloan resigned two weeks later.
Porter obtained JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to confess he was unable to resolve primary monetary issues. Akin to whether or not a JPMorgan Chase teller taking house $29,100 yearly may elevate her daughter and make ends meet. Ought to she get a JPMorgan Chase bank card? “I don’t know,” Dimon mentioned. Overdraft at his financial institution? “I don’t know,” Dimon mentioned.
When Porter requested Trump Housing and City Growth Secretary Ben Carson about real-estate owned (REO) properties, which fail to promote throughout foreclosures auctions, Carson replied: “Oreo?” He then mentioned, “Actual-estate…group?” Carson didn’t know that his personal company had a ton of REO housing-loan properties, which means they had been auctioning, and failing to promote, properties relatively than working with distressed home-owners. Porter had deftly illustrated the real-world issues that come up when a pretend real-estate mogul provides his housing company to a man whose experience was actually chopping aside twins conjoined on the head.
After which there was that second that will have saved, I dunno, let’s say a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals? Throughout 5 minutes of questioning, Porter obtained Trump’s Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield to pledge he would use his authorized authorities to make COVID assessments accessible without spending a dime, for everybody, in March of 2020.
Schiff Rigs a Senate Race
In 2024, Porter ran for U.S. Senate the place she got here in third within the non-partisan main which noticed RussiaGater Adam Schiff and senescent baseball Corridor of Famer Steve Garvey advance to the final election.
As Roll Name summed up the race, “Porter’s means to boost marketing campaign money lagged behind Schiff’s, who introduced in $32.8 million to Porter’s $28 million. Schiff’s gambit to run advertisements specializing in Garvey boosted the Republican’s underfunded marketing campaign and successfully blocked Porter from successful one of many November poll slots.”
After the loss, Porter tweeted “we had the institution operating scared — withstanding 3 to 1 in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires spending hundreds of thousands to rig this election.”
Her use of the time period “rigged” was seized on by her foes within the Democratic get together institution, and the MSM. See the Politico pile-on piece headlined Katie Porter pulled a Trump transfer after shedding. Democrats are furious.:
Porter’s declare spurred an oblique rebuke from Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who wrote that California’s vote was “not rigged.” And Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who previously oversaw California voting because the state’s high elections official, referred to as the notion “ridiculous” with out naming Porter.
“It’s not rigged,” Padilla instructed POLITICO. “As the previous secretary of state of California, I can guarantee you of the integrity of the elections and the outcomes.”
So when Porter emerged because the front-runner after Kamala Harris elected to not run, the California Democratic institution was not pleased, as proven by Politico’s piece titled “The case towards Katie Porter’s inevitability”:
…there’s a crowded subject of Democratic contenders now making ready to check Porter’s potential vulnerabilities, together with her baggage from a failed Senate bid final 12 months and lukewarm relationship with some highly effective get together insiders.
“I don’t consider this race has a front-runner in it,” mentioned Kyle Layman, guide to Xavier Becerra, one other Democratic candidate and a former Well being and Human Providers secretary. “The race actually began [last week]. We don’t even know the place the sphere is at.”…Porter may additionally face a run for her cash, actually. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis already has about $9 million money readily available between her two marketing campaign accounts (most of which her marketing campaign mentioned will be transferred). Kounalakis is prone to have deep marketing campaign pockets. She’s nicely linked in rich San Francisco circles and is the daughter of outstanding developer Angelo Tsakopoulos.
One other candidate who’s pouring cash into the competition is billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, who’s put in $13 million of his personal wealth. All of which is to say, Porter’s fundraising prowess in previous congressional runs won’t translate in a statewide contest.…Pelosi, one of many largest kingmakers in Democratic politics, may play an outsize function in shaping which candidate corners the help of some unions and main donors. She has already mentioned she helps Kounalakis, her longtime ally and fellow San Franciscan.
It’s unclear if Pelosi will go to the mat for Kounalakis in the best way she did for Schiff within the Senate race — a key issue that blunted Porter’s early momentum. And it’s to be seen whether or not the get together’s two different California normal bearers — Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom — will wade into the competition.
The California institution was ready to pounce and Porter gave them their probability.
Crank Jacketing Katie Porter
So the stage was set when Porter sat all the way down to be interviewed by CBS’ Julie Watts.
Katie Porter, the entrance runner to be the subsequent Governor of California, tries to depart an interview after getting pissed off w/ @juliewattsTV questions pic.twitter.com/mTzZURG86K
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) October 8, 2025
Watts requested a type of silly query, however Porter undoubtedly made a mistake in obsessing on the query as requested relatively than following the basic rule taught to each political candidate in media coaching: Ignore the query and say what you need the general public to listen to.
Right here’s a partial transcript:
Julie Watts: What do you say to the 40% of California voters who you’ll want so as to win um who voted for Trump?
Katie Porter: How would I want them so as to win?
Watts: Ma’am, nicely, except you assume you’re going to get 60% of the vote. You assume you’ll get 60 all everyone who didn’t vote for Trump will vote for you. That’s what what you’re saying in a normal election.
Porter: Sure. Whether it is me versus a Republican, I feel that I’ll win the individuals who didn’t vote for Trump.
Watts: What if it’s you versus one other Democrat?
Porter: I don’t intend that to be the case.
Watts: So, how do you not intend that to be the case? Do do you might be you going to ask them to not run?
Porter: No. No. I’m saying I’m going to construct the help. I’ve the help already when it comes to identify recognition. And so, I’m going to do the perfect I can to ensure that we get by means of this main in a extremely sturdy place. However let me be clear with you. I represented Orange County. I represented a purple space. I’ve stood alone two ft and received Republican votes earlier than. That’s not one thing each candidate on this race can say. When you’re from a deep blue space, for those who’re from LA otherwise you’re from Oakland, you haven’t you don’t have an expertise.
Watts: However you simply mentioned you don’t want these Trump voters.
Porter: Properly, you requested me if I wanted them to win. So, you don’t want I really feel like that is unnecessarily argumentative. What’s your query?
Watts: The query is similar factor I requested everyone that that is being referred to as the empowering voters to cease Trump’s energy seize. Each different candidate has answered this query.
Porter: This isn’t… I mentioned I help it.
Watts:So, and the query is, what do you say to the 40% of voters who voted for Trump?
Porter: Oh, I’m pleased to say that. It’s the do you want them to win half that I don’t perceive. I’m pleased to reply the reply the query as you might have it written and I’ll reply it.
Watts: And we’ve additionally requested the opposite candidates, do you assume you want any of these 40% of California voters to win? And also you’re saying no, you don’t.
Porter: No, I’m saying I’m going to attempt to win each vote I can.
Watts: And what I’m saying to you is that…
Porter: Properly, to these voters. Okay. So, so that you I don’t wish to hold doing this. I’m going to name it. Thanks.
Watts: You’re not going to do the interview with us?
Porter: Nope. Not like this. I’m not not with seven follow-ups to each single query you ask.
Watts: Each different candidate has answered.
Porter: I don’t care. I wish to have a pleasing, optimistic dialog through which you ask me about each concern on this record. And if each query you’re going to make up a follow-up query, then we’re by no means going to get there and we’re simply going to circle round.
Watts: I’m an investigative.
Porter: I’ve (by no means) had to do that earlier than. Ever.
Watts: You’ve by no means needed to have a dialog with
Porter: …to finish an interview.
Watts: Okay. However each different candidate has completed this.
Porter: I…What a part of I’m me. I’m operating for governor as a result of I’m a pacesetter. So I’m going to make…
Watts: So that you’re not going to reply questions from reporters. Okay. Why don’t we undergo I’ll proceed to ask follow-up questions as a result of that’s my job as a journalist. However I’ll undergo and ask these and for those who don’t wish to reply, you don’t wish to reply. So almost each legislative donor…
Porter: I don’t wish to have an sad expertise with you and I don’t need this all on digicam.
Watts:I don’t wish to have an sad expertise with you both. I might like to proceed to ask these questions in order that we are able to present our viewers what each candidate feels about each one in every of these points that they care about and redistricting. It’s a large concern. We’re going to do a whole story simply on the responses to that query. And I’ve requested everyone the identical follow-up questions.
Porter didn’t go away the interview and stayed one other twenty minutes to reply Watts’ questions.
The Unhealthy Jacketing of Katie Porter
The company media was fast to pounce:
pic.twitter.com/Tw1fT0F4KX
— Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) October 10, 2025
The New York Instances mischaracterized the alternate:
Within the three-minute video, she dismissively rejected a query that advised she wanted to succeed in out to Republicans and threatened to desert the interview after she was pissed off with a number of follow-ups.
Porter didn’t “dismissively rejected a query that advised she wanted to succeed in out to Republicans,” she objected to the premise that she wanted Republican votes to win an election in a state with a 60% Democratic voters.
The Instances proceeded to let Porter’s main opponents remark anonymously:
Fellow Democratic candidates mentioned Ms. Porter “thinks she’s already received,” “can’t reply primary questions” and that the governor’s race is “no place for mood tantrums.” One opponent referred to as on her to drop out of the race.
Naturally her main opponents went on the assault:
Dems POUNCE pic.twitter.com/Ynzg8Ky9bA
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) October 8, 2025
But it surely was the company press who did a lot of the unhealthy jacketing.
From New York Journal:
Somebody who used to work with Katie Porter despatched me this clip from a train-wreck interview together with her and mentioned, “Now think about what she’s like when there aren’t cameras round.” pic.twitter.com/OCF73BrUg1
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 8, 2025
Then somebody leaked a 2021 alternate through which Porter snapped at a staffer to Politico.
Rhonda Elaine Foxx, a former Joe Biden and Kamala Harris staffer joined the pile on:
pic.twitter.com/JAQN7wMo3R
— Nat Wilson Turner (@natwilsonturner) October 10, 2025
Heidi Moore identified the glass homes side of a former Kamala Harris staffer going after Porter on this concern:
Positively one thing to think about, however are you able to make clear why her habits is worse than that of your former bosses? Appears sort of like the identical factor, no? pic.twitter.com/LXmEPPWINY
— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) October 9, 2025
Contemplating the variety of former Kamala staffers attacking Katie Porter, I worry that the leaks and tried downfall of Porter is coming from the camp of Ms. Harris, a rumored candidate for CA Governor and occupant of essentially the most fragile of glass homes pic.twitter.com/vQL1DvfZCm
— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) October 9, 2025
David Sirota made some good factors:
the factor about Katie Porter is that it might really be good to have an elected official who’s keen to be pushy and snippy with Wall Road and billionaires — which tbh might be why oligarch media is attempting to now scandalize her being pushy and snippy
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) October 9, 2025
Sure FDR, JFK, LBJ, John McCain, Donald Trump…these had been at all times unflappably good individuals always who had been by no means rude, snippy or imply to anybody 🙄
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) October 9, 2025
Yashar Ali really has suggestion for Porter, though I doubt his sincerity:
Questioning if Katie Porter goes to return again with a brand new advert the place she speaks straight to digicam and says one thing like:
“I’m Katie Porter and may I be a bitch typically?”
“Completely”
“However bitches get shit completed and I wish to get shit completed for California.”
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 9, 2025
It is a disheartening dynamic I’ve been seeing because the demolition of Howard Dean in 2004. Any Democratic candidate with populist attraction and a willingness to tackle the ability construction have to be completely good always.
If somebody like Katie Porter makes even the slightest mistake, the Democratic get together institution and company media go for the kill.
