Democratic congressman Brad Sherman denies viewing porn on flight

Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman responded after photos went viral showing him viewing explicit images on a tablet while on a flight, sparking rapid backlash online.

Photos posted on X Friday appear to show the 71-year-old California congressman staring at a tablet with his mouth open while scrolling through photos of women in their underwear.

“Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to watch porn on his iPad during a flight today?” One X post said.

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The post had received 12.4 million views as of Saturday evening.

Sherman denied the allegations, and a spokesperson for the congressman told Fox News Digital that the images appeared because of his algorithm on X, formerly Twitter.

“This was nothing more than Twitter scrolling, and unfortunately Elon Musk subverted the Twitter algorithm to give people content they didn’t request or subscribe to,” a Sherman spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an email.

Likewise, Sherman told Punchbowl News that the photos appeared on his X feed under the “For You” section of X, a page that displays recommended content.

“This was on Twitter. These pictures were featured on For You,” Sherman told Punchbowl News, adding that he saw a variety of posts during his trip across the country.

“If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of things on your tablet,” he said.

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“If I see a picture of a woman, can I look at it longer than sunset? Yes.”

When asked if he thought the content was appropriate for in-flight viewing, Sherman told Punchbowl News: “Is it pornography? I don’t think Elon Musk thinks so. Is it appropriate? No.”

The photos quickly sparked widespread reactions on social media.

Donald Trump Jr. responded to the viral post with “Yikes!!!!”

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Donald Trump Jr. speaks during an interview with Bloomberg TV in New York City on July 15, 2025. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In response to Donald Trump Jr., Sherman posted an edited version of the photo showing his iPad screen replaced with the words “Release Epstein Files.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican, commented: “I don’t want to hear a single voice from anyone in/around congress, or the media, [about] “How do I get around the airport again?”

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Mace recently called for the resignation of Charleston Airport CEO Elliott Summey and threatened legal action after airport officials accused her of mistreating employees.

X did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.