CONGRESSWOMAN KATIE PORTER OF
CALIFORNIA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
US TONIGHT.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?
TELL US, IN YOUR OWN WORDS, WHAT
HAPPENED YESTERDAY.
GO AHEAD, SORRY.
>> YESTERDAY, WE HAD PLANNED AN
OPEN-AIR TOWN HALL.
WE HAD HAD A LOT OF SPACE FOR
PEOPLE TO SPREAD OUT AND BE
SAFE.
WE ADVERTISED IT AS A
FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT.
AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO
ADVERTISED A CONFRONT KATIE
PORTER RALLY.
THEY ATTENDED THE EVENT, AS THEY
WERE WELCOMED TO DO.
BUT THEY BEGAN TO SHOUT AND,
EVENTUALLY, VIOLENCE BROKE OUT.
UM, IT WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING
AND SCARY, ESPECIALLY FOR
FAMILIES AND SENIORS AND OTHERS
WHO WERE THERE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HEAR FROM
EVERY SINGLE ELECTED OFFICIAL,
REGARDLESS OF PARTY, THAT THIS
IS NOT DEMOCRACY.
>> THE GROUP WAS LED BY A
REPUBLICAN, WHOS RUNNING
AGAINST YOU, WHO IS A WHITE
SUPREMACIST, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
A NAZI SYMPATHIZER.
AND WHEN YOU -- WHEN YOU SAW
THIS HAPPENING, AND -- AND YOU
DECIDED TO RUN TOWARD THE CHAOS.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, WHEN YOU
RAN TO PROTECT THAT WOMAN?
>> WELL, THERE WERE NO POLICE IN
THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
THERE WERE POLICE ON THE
GROUNDS.
BUT THEY WERE NOT NEARBY.
AND I -- AS IT BEGAN TO
CONTINUE, YOU BEGAN TO HEAR
PEOPLE CRY FOR HELP.
AND SO, I WENT UP TO -- WE HAD A
COUPLE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,
PEOPLE USING WALKERS, WHO
COULDNT MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.
AND I WAS VERY AFRAID THAT THEY
WERE GOING TO GET KNOCKED OVER.
SO, I SIMPLY PUT MY ARM AROUND
THEM.
TOLD HER TO STAND THERE.
I WAS GOING TO STAND THERE WITH
HER, UNTIL THE POLICE WERE ABLE
TO DISPERSE THE SITUATION.
>> NOW, AFTER JANUARY 6th, WHEN
THERE WERE PEOPLE ATTACKING THE
CAPITOL.
LOOKING FOR DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS, LIKE YOU, TO
PHYSICALLY ATTACK THEM.
POSSIBLY, KILL THEM.
WE DONT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE
GOING TO DO WHEN THEY GOT THERE.
WHAT IS IT LIKE, WHEN YOU SEE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS BREAK OUT IN
OTHERWISE-PEACEABLE IRVINE,
CALIFORNIA?
>> I MEAN, ITS -- THIS IS MY
HOME.
SO ITS INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING
TO HAVE IT HAPPEN HERE.
IRVINE HAS BEEN THE SAFEST CITY
OF ITS SIZE FOR 15 YEARS
RUNNING.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE MADE SURE THAT
WE HAD PLENTY OF SPACE FOR
EVERYONE TO ATTEND.
WE TOOK STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAD AN EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK A QUESTION.
PUTTING THEIR QUESTIONS IN A
BINGO-BALL SPINNER THAT WE DRAW
THEM FROM.
I MADE VERY CLEAR, AT THE
BEGINNING, EVERYONE IS WELCOME
HERE.
BUT WE NEED TO BE CIVIL AND
LISTEN TO EACH OTHER.
AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY
HEARTBREAKING WHEN THAT
HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, I DIDNT -- AFTER
JANUARY 6th, ITS HARD TO FEEL
SAFE IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW.
AND NOW, ITS HARD TO FEEL SAFE
IN IRVINE.
>> AND SOME OF THESE PEOPLE
ATTACKING YOUR EVENT YESTERDAY
MAY, VERY WELL, BE RECIPIENTS OF
THE CHILD-TAX CREDIT STARTING
THIS WEEK.
# AND THEY, PRESUMABLY, WILL
HAVE NO IDEA THAT THEY HAVE YOU
TO THANK FOR THAT.
>> WELL, WE WERE TRYING TO SHARE
WITH ALL OF THE AUDIENCE ABOUT
THE CHILD-TAX CREDIT.
AND I THINK THATS THE REAL LOSS
HERE.
EVERYBODY LOST.
WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH ME, OR
DISAGREE WITH ME, YOU WERENT
ABLE TO HEAR WHAT I WAS SAYING.
YOU WERENT ABLE TO GET AN
ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTIONS BECAUSE
YOU WERE CREATING SUCH A
DISTURBANCE.
AND ULTIMATELY, THERE WAS
VIOLENCE.
AND SO, I THINK, EVEN FOR THOSE
WHO DISAGREED, THEY WERENT EVEN
TO ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS
HAPPENING, HOW IT WILL AFFECT
THEM AND MAKE UP THEIR MIND.
THIS EVENT WAS REALLY COUNTER TO
THE VERY PURPOSE OF A TOWN HALL.
IT ALSO MADE IT VERY HARD FOR ME
TO HEAR WHAT CONSTITUENTS HAD TO
SAY OVER THE SHOUTING AND THE
NOISE.
>> YOUR -- YOU -- YOURE GOING
TO BE HAVING TOWN HALLS.
PRESUMABLY, YOU ARE TRYING TO DO
THIS AGAIN.
YOU ARE ALSO GOING TO BE HAVING
A RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN, NEXT
YEAR.
IN THE -- IN THESE SAME PLACES.
DO YOU EXPECT THIS TO JUST
FOLLOW YOU AROUND?
>> I, CERTAINLY, HOPE NOT.
WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE DOING
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP ANYONE
WHO WANTS TO COME HEAR ME OR
SPEAK WITH ME SAFE.
THATS REGARDLESS OF THEIR
PARTY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR
VIEWS.
WHAT WAS REALLY, PARTICULARLY
UPSETTING ABOUT YESTERDAY WAS
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ON BOTH --
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM ONE SIDE,
SUPPORTERS.
AND PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE TO
CONFRONT WERE, ALL, DRAGGED INTO
IT.
LIKE I SAID, INNOCENT SENIORS.
JUST SIMPLY, SITTING THERE TO
LISTEN, WERE NEARLY HURT.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN KATIE PORTER,
IF YOU HAD A MINUTE, AS YOU DO,
RIGHT NOW, TO SAY THE
SINGLE-MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT
YOU WANTED TO SAY AT YOUR TOWN
HALL YESTERDAY.
WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I
WANTED TO TELL PEOPLE IS THAT WE
HAVE TO FOCUS ON AN ECONOMIC
RECOVERY.
THAT CREATES WORK AND, ALSO,
HELPS WORKERS.
SO WE WERE TALKING NOT JUST
ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOB
CREATION BUT, ALSO, ABOUT HELP
FOR WORKERS.
THINGS LIKE BROADBAND AND
CHILDCARE.
AND THAT WAS REALLY THE MESSAGE