It’s not the kind of headline a seasoned lawmaker wants attached to his name, but here we are: Democrat Congressman Brad Sherman (CA) has found himself at the center of a storm after being photographed on a flight gazing at what appear to be explicit images on his tablet—mouth agape, fully immersed, and wholly unaware of the nearby camera capturing the moment.
The images, posted by the X account @dearwhitestaff, quickly lit up social media, triggering a flood of backlash and prompting a wave of uncomfortable questions. In the photos, Sherman appears to be scrolling through four or five sexually suggestive images of women while seated on a commercial flight. The caption was blunt:
Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to look at porn on his iPad during a flight today? His district deserves better representation than this!! #CA32 pic.twitter.com/gAYZ82tyr2
— Dear White Staffers (@dearwhitestaff) November 14, 2025
“Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to look at porn on his iPad during a flight today? His district deserves better representation than this!!”
Sherman, a 15-term congressman known for his loud opposition to President Trump and for presenting himself as a moral compass in Washington, has denied viewing pornography—but admitted the content wasn’t appropriate for the setting.
3/ Sherman: “This was on Twitter. These pictures came up on ‘For You.’”
“I must’ve looked at more than 1000 posts” during his flight, Sherman said.
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) November 15, 2025
“This was on Twitter,” Sherman said during an interview with Punchbowl News reporter John Bresnahan. “These pictures came up on ‘For You.’ … I must’ve looked at more than 1,000 posts.”
Then came the quote that raised even more eyebrows:
“If I see a picture of a woman, might I look at it longer than a sunset? Yeah.”
To be clear, Sherman insists he wasn’t seeking out explicit content—he blamed X’s algorithm, and even name-dropped Elon Musk in the process.
“Is it pornography? I don’t think Elon Musk thinks so,” he said. “Is it appropriate? No.”
5/ Q. “Do you have a problem with pornography?”
Sherman: “No, I don’t have a problem.”
Sherman said “It’s all about the algorithms,” and asserted these pictures came up in his feed “because of the algorithms.”
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) November 15, 2025
That attempt at deflection didn’t satisfy critics, many of whom questioned why a sitting U.S. lawmaker would be browsing suggestive content in public view—let alone during a national flight, while representing constituents.
Pressed further on whether he had a broader issue with explicit material or online content consumption, Sherman flatly denied it.
“No, I don’t have a problem. It’s all about the algorithms,” he claimed.
7/ Sherman: “If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of stuff on your tablet.”
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— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) November 15, 2025
That didn’t stop the moment from going viral. And it certainly didn’t silence the criticism, especially from conservatives and moderate independents who have long accused lawmakers like Sherman of holding others to standards they routinely ignore themselves.
Indeed, what’s frustrating many observers isn’t just the content—it’s the hypocrisy. This is a congressman who has repeatedly preached about public morality, ethical conduct, and the dangers of social media platforms. Yet here he is, scrolling through semi-nude images at 30,000 feet—then brushing it off as algorithmic misfortune.
