Whoopi Goldberg defends Katie Porter amid reports of her snapping at staff: ‘I yell at people’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former California Rep Katie Porter has found an unlikely ally in Whoopi Goldberg after renewed scrutiny over Porter’s alleged treatment of staffers and tense public confrontations became a topic on ‘The View.' The conversation occurred against the backdrop of ongoing concerns from Porter’s critics about her temperament in the high-profile California gubernatorial race.

Goldberg defended Porter’s behavior, saying many people in demanding workplaces lose their temper from time to time and that she was not a fan of selective outrage.

‘The View’ panel clashes over Porter’s behavior

During a recent episode of ‘The View,' Goldberg openly defended Porter after resurfaced clips showed the Democrat in heated exchanges with aides and journalists.

Goldberg praised the former Golden State congresswoman’s performance during Tuesday’s gubernatorial debate after Republicans' rivals blasted her fiery temper, pointing to footage showing her berating two staffers and throwing a tantrum during an interview.

“Maybe she does yell at people,” Goldberg said on Thursday’s episode.

Co-host Joy Behar quipped that “PMS” was responsible for Porter’s meltdowns, but Alyssa Farah Griffin pushed back, ripping her “volatility” and stressing it shouldn’t be ignored.

Griffin argued that how politicians treat staff members matters because it reflects their character behind closed doors.

The former Trump White House communications official also suggested the public reaction would be more severe if a male politician faced similar allegations involving female staffers.

“I think how somebody treats staff under them says so much about their character and we should note we saw the video where she berated her staffer in a way I’ve never in any job in politics been talked to,” the Trump White House alum said.

Questions over Porter's temper and leadership style resurface

Porter, who has a reputation for losing her cool when things don’t go her way, was scrutinized in October when resurfaced footage exposed her nasty comments and furious outbursts.

The firestorm broke out when a tense on-air clash between Porter and CBS reporter Julie Watts went viral, with the former rep oddly accusing the journalist of being “unnecessary argumentative” when asked about the difficulty of scoring votes from Trump supporters.

She then cut the interview and removed her microphone before snapping, “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m going to call it.”

Another video captured the lawmaker yelling at a female staffer to “get out of my f—king shot” during a July 2021 Zoom discussion with the Biden administration.

In another 2021 Zoom meeting, she argued with her staff over a lighting problem before being caught on camera giving a worker an ice-cold stare.

A former congressional aide accused Porter of bullying in 2022, alleging the lawmaker told the staffer she had exposed her to COVID-19 by working in person during the pandemic.

Her ex-husband, Matthew Hoffman, also alleged in their 2013 divorce proceedings that she frequently verbally abused him, and once dumped scalding hot mashed potatoes on his head during a fight.