What moment made congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh abruptly end the interview and walk out mid-question?
On this wild episode of the Tara Palmeri Show, Tara Palmeri sits down with 26-year-old progressive star Kat Abughazaleh, the Media Matters and Mother Jones alum behind viral segments like "I Watched Tucker Carlson So You Don't Have To," now running second in a crowded 13-way Democratic primary for Illinois's 9th District. Fresh off a federal indictment for her role in an ICE facility protest—facing charges of conspiracy to impede a federal officer, forcibly intimidating an officer, property damage, and more—Kat joins to share her side.
Tara's article:
https://www.tarapalmeri.com/p/congressional-candidate-kat-abughazaleh
Tara asks straightforward questions: how she's feeling, what happened that day, the indictment's details (surrounding an officer's vehicle, banging on it, etching "pig" on the side), and whether up to 14 years in prison could block her from serving in Congress. Kat calls it a "political prosecution" to criminalize protest, insists she'll plead not guilty and win in court, but refuses specifics on the allegations. Moments after Tara pulls up protest video and presses on prison time's impact, Kat signs off and vanishes from the live stream. Tara reacts in real time, draws parallels to Katie Porter's recent walkout, breaks down the crowded open seat (with incumbent Jan Schakowsky retiring), Kat's $1M fundraising haul, and what this says about social media stars dodging accountability in politics. Watch the full unedited exchange and decide for yourself.
How would Kat Abughazaleh handle tough town hall questions from constituents if she can't answer basic ones here?
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Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show.
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Kat Abughazaleh Walks Out of My Interview After I Ask About Her Indictment
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Tara Palmeri Show
03:14 Kat Abughazaleh joins the Tara Palmeri Show
03:45 Kat's social media rise and congressional run
04:15 Facing federal indictment charges
05:20 Calling it a political prosecution
06:10 Question about etching "pig" on officer's car
06:41 Watching the protest video together
07:11 Asking about prison time impact
07:24 Kat abruptly ends the interview
07:59 Tara reacts live to the walkout
08:22 Breaking down the crowded Illinois 9th primary
09:26 Kat's fundraising and open seat advantage
10:21 Why candidates must handle tough questions
11:20 Parallels to Katie Porter's walkout
13:55 Thanks for watching the Tara Palmeri Show
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