Katie Porter wants to be California's next governor, but her ex-husband has some thoughts about that. Matthew Hoffman, who divorced Porter in 2013 after a decade of marriage, told the New York Post that his former spouse is a "master manipulator" with a nasty temper who has no business leading the Golden State.
Hoffman, 50, told the New York Post that his ex-wife is the last person who should be leading California. Pointing to the recently leaked video clips exposing Porter’s explosive temper and her nasty treatment of both staffers and journalists, he didn’t hold back. “It’s about time,” he said, welcoming the long-overdue exposure of her behavior
“The amount of staff she goes through. The horrible things that she says [about others] … those aren’t fabrications,” he warned.
Hoffman's remarks came after a pair of viral videos reignited concerns about Porter's fitness for higher office. In one clip from 2021, Porter screamed at a staffer during a virtual meeting to "get out of my f—ing shot," a phrase Hoffman says is entirely consistent with how she behaved behind closed doors.
WOW!
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 8, 2025
Katie Porter, while recording a video with the Biden admin, snapped at a staffer who walked behind her:
"Get out of my f*cking shot!"
Politico obtained the footage of the conversation between Porter and then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in July 2021 pic.twitter.com/2ZgdF3Tf6p
In a more recent incident, Porter nearly walked out of an interview with CBS reporter Julie Watts after becoming irritated by receiving too many follow-up questions.
Watch how @katieporteroc aka “Karen” becomes quickly overwrought during a neutral interview on CBS Sacramento.
— KlausKnowsMe (@KlausKnowsMe) October 7, 2025
Reporter, Julie Watts sat down with each candidate for governor of California to ask direct questions on a variety of issues.
No one should want THIS for California… pic.twitter.com/2QUO5ivGaC
Hoffman pointed out that instead of lashing out, she could have used the opportunity to talk about unity and cooperation, qualities that seem utterly foreign to her temperament.
Hoffman — who shares three children with his ex-wife, from whom he had a bitter split — acknowledged that Porter chafes many in political circles, including Democratic Party bigwigs Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff.
“She can’t even get along with Nancy Pelosi,” Hoffman observed.
He also said it was preposterous for Porter to claim her California Senate primary loss to Schiff last March was because he wanted to “rig” the election.
Porter suffered a crushing defeat, finishing a distant third behind Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.
“The system’s not rigged, Katie,” warned Hoffman, saying it was all a matter of politics as usual.
However, he was also quick to add that his ex-wife is by no means dumb and is “a master manipulator.”
After the incident, Porter said, she regretted her comment calling the election rigged.
Porter's campaign responded through spokesperson Peter Opitz, who insisted that she and Hoffman maintain a "positive and productive relationship" while co-parenting their three children in Southern California. That framing, however, glosses over a messy divorce marked by mutual accusations of verbal abuse and restraining orders filed by both parties, though neither faced criminal charges. Hoffman described their marriage as "awful" and emotionally draining, while Porter has painted herself as a victim of domestic violence who courageously left a troubled marriage.
ICYMI: We Got New Juicy Details About the Obama-Biden Feud Last Year
Hoffman, however, disputes that narrative. He says Porter plays up her single-mother experience to generate sympathy and political capital. When their marriage imploded, she made sure to set off legal fireworks—first filing for divorce, then rushing to secure an emergency protective order, and finally slapping on a restraining order for good measure.
But Hoffman wasn’t about to let Porter play the innocent victim. In his own filings, he accused the Democratic darling of acting like a tyrant behind closed doors—claiming she “routinely” called him a “f—ing idiot” and “f—ing incompetent.” One night, he said, she went ballistic over a messy kitchen and smashed a glass coffee pot in a fit of rage.
“She would not let me have a cell phone because she said, ‘You’re too f—ing dumb to operate it,’” Hoffman recalled. And then there was the mashed potatoes incident.
Hoffman also claimed in divorce papers that in 2006, Porter exploded over the way he was making mashed potatoes, snapping, “Can’t you read the f—ing instructions!” before raising a “ceramic bowl of steaming hot potatoes and dumped it on my head, burning my scalp,” according to Hoffman’s account in court papers.
In her first congressional run in 2018, Porter cast herself as a “victim of domestic violence” and frequently highlighted her role as a single mom.
“I’m the most boring person in America. I’m a mom of three kids, I protected my family, I ended a marriage that was troubled,” Porter said.
Katie “loves to bang the drum” of her being a single mom, Hoffman countered.
Hoffman's message to California voters is simple. Look closely before you cast your ballot, because the person Porter presents on the campaign trail isn't the person she is behind closed doors.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is still ongoing, and polls are now showing Americans are increasingly blaming the Democrats for this mess, but we can’t let them spin their way out of it.
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