Welcome back to The Red Letter.
I just had a shocking live interview with congressional candidate
— and I’m still processing it.If you’ve spent any time online, you probably know the 26 year-old running in Illinois’ 11th Congressional district. She’s a social media star who built her following at Media Matters and Mother Jones with her quick, clever videos dissecting conservative media — the kind of “I watch Tucker Carlson so you don’t have to” commentary that made her a hero on the left.
But yesterday, she made headlines for a very different reason: she was indicted over a protest outside an ICE facility. The charges are serious — two counts, including conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer and forcibly impeding, intimidating, or interfering with a federal law enforcement officer while engaged in official duties. The indictment alleges that she and others “surrounded a federal officer’s vehicle, banged on its hood and windows, etched ‘PIG’ on the side, and impeded movement.”
When I brought her on, I did what I always do: I asked straightforward questions. How was she feeling? What happened that day? What does she make of the charges? How might this affect her ability to serve in Congress?
Pretty standard journalism. I didn’t expect hostility — but halfway through the interview, she ended it. Just sign off in the middle of a question.
It was genuinely shocking.
Before we started, she mentioned that there were some things she couldn’t discuss because it’s an ongoing legal case. That’s normal. I’ve heard that line hundreds of times. She could have easily said, “I can’t get into the details, but here’s what I can say.” Instead, she shut down.
As you know, I’m an independent journalist. I don’t play for either side. I go where the questions lead — without fear or favor. If that’s the kind of journalism you value, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to The Red Letter. Truly independent reporting may not be fashionable, but it’s essential.
If we had kept going, I planned to ask her more about how this arrest is being seen as an infringement on free speech and whether the administration is going after its political enemies. I also wanted to talk about her campaign — why she’s running, what she stands for, what she hopes to change.
Her reaction gave me déjà vu — the Katie Porter moment from just a few weeks ago, when the former congresswoman from Orange County walked out on a local reporter asking basic accountability questions.
What is going on with these social-media-born politicians who think they can bypass the press, the very people who represent the voters they hope to serve?
Abughazaleh is only 26. I’d like to believe this was just a lapse in judgment, not a pattern. She’s young, media-savvy, and until now, seen as fearless. Maybe the indictment will even boost her visibility, just as that viral video of her being thrown to the ground by ICE officers did. But the reality is, if she’s elected, she’ll have to face her constituents and the press.
Are Democrats starting to pull a page from the Trump playbook, just walking out on interviews and ducking accountability when things get uncomfortable?
These are scary times for the free press.
I hope Kat reconsiders. Because for all her wit and energy, if she wants to be a public servant, she’ll have to handle tough questions, not walk away from them.
