(AP) - Democratic California U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed after he interrupted a Los Angeles press conference on immigration by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. He began shouting over her before he was removed from the room.
Noem had promised to move forward with the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown across Los Angeles despite the waves of protests that have spread across a dozen major cities, saying agents have thousands and thousands of targets.
White House on Padilla: ‘He wanted attention’
The White House, like DHS, also criticized Padilla’s behavior at Noem’s press conference.
“Padilla didn’t want answers; he wanted attention,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said. “Padilla embarrassed himself and his constituents with this immature, theater-kid stunt – but it’s telling that Democrats are more riled up about Padilla than they are about the violent riots and assaults on law enforcement in LA.”
Kamala Harris calls removal of US senator from Noem’s news conference a ‘stunning abuse of power’
Padilla was “representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California,” Harris said on the social media platform X. “This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power”
Noem said Padilla was after ‘political theater’
The Homeland Security secretary told Fox News that “this man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice.”
Noem said Padilla “did not identify himself” even though video shows him doing that before he was removed from the room.
“Perhaps he wanted the scene,” she said, adding that she would have been happy to speak to Padilla if he had an appointment.
Noem said they talked privately after the confrontation and exchanged phone numbers.
Padilla says he was removed from news conference for asking Secretary Noem about ‘extreme’ immigration enforcement
US Sen. Alex Padilla said he was demanding answers about the Trump administration’s “increasingly extreme immigration enforcement actions” from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem when he was forcibly removed from her news conference in Los Angeles.
Padilla said he and his colleagues had received little to no response to their questions in recent weeks so he attended the briefing for more information.
“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question ... I can only imagine what they are doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers throughout the Los Angeles community,” Padilla said.
Sen. Padilla identified himself before being removal. DHS said they thought he was an attacker
“Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,” The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands, it said, adding “The Secret Service thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.”
Despite DHS’s assertions that Padilla did not identify himself, he is heard saying “I’m Sen. Alex Padilla” as an agent pushes him away.
Noem met with Padilla afterward and they held a 15-minute meeting.
Senate GOP Leader wants the facts on what happened to Sen. Padilla
“Obviously we will have response,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the U.S. Capitol. “But I want to know the facts, find out exactly what happened.”