A resurfaced video shows then-Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) arriving in Congress wearing a Batgirl costume on a day when House Democrats were voting on ground rules for impeaching President Trump in 2019.
The episode took place on October 31, 2019. According to Fox News coverage, Porter kept her mask on during a House Financial Services Committee vote and later told a reporter, “It’s Batgirl!” when challenged about her outfit.
Porter has defended her action as playful, noting that “taking my work in Congress seriously doesn’t mean I take myself too seriously.” Critics, however, argued at the time that the costume was inappropriate for the gravity of the impeachment proceedings.
The video has resurfaced amid Porter’s campaign for governor, prompting renewed questions about her temperament and priorities from political opponents.
