When Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed and tackled during Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday, Democrats across the country immediately came to his defense.
Sen. Alex Padilla is pushed out of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference on June 12.
Because, for them, they know that this was much more than just a matter of an unruly politician being escorted out of a room.
“It’s disgusting. Reeks of totalitarianism. Un-American. Not what democracies do,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X.
"Sen. Padilla was in that building to ask questions of what's going on in California, doing his duty to his constituents. We need answers now,” he added.
Even former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke out, calling the stunt a “shameful and stunning abuse of power.”
Padilla showed up to Noem’s press conference to ask about the ongoing military invasion of Los Angeles. And despite identifying himself as a senator, Padilla was forced out of the room before he could finish asking his question, pushed to the floor, and handcuffed.
“I was there peacefully," he told reporters, highlighting that, if this is how a senator is treated, this is a concerning sign of how average Americans will be treated.
“If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, if this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,” Padilla said.
The DHS, meanwhile, tried to deny responsibility for the mistreatment of Padilla by claiming that he never identified himself. Even House Speaker Mike Johnson went as far as to say that Padilla, whose every move was caught on camera, rushed the stage.
Unsatisfied with these lies, Democrats marched to Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office to demand answers.
“The brutal handcuffing of Senator Padilla is an affront to democracy,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland wrote on BlueSky. “I’m joining House Democrats to march to Senator Thune’s office and to demand that he protect his Colleagues from this out-of-control authoritarian onslaught.”
x
The brutal handcuffing of Senator Padilla is an affront to democracy. I’m joining House Democrats to march to Senator Thune’s office and to demand that he protect his Colleagues from this out-of-control authoritarian onslaught.
[image or embed]
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@raskin.house.gov) June 12, 2025 at 2:25 PM
And while Republicans hide behind flimsy excuses, Democrats like Rep. Eric Swalwell of California took to Capitol Hill to demand Noem’s resignation.
"Kristi Noem must resign. She has deported a four year old with cancer, detained a U.S. marshal, and arrested two members of Congress. She’s lost the confidence of the American people. ICE must stop terrorizing our communities,” he wrote on BlueSky.
Along with the post, Swalwell included a video of himself alongside other politicians, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in which he compares masked ICE agents to "Russian KGB agents."
"It's No Kings Day this Saturday. Americans need to show up,” he added. “Because if we don't show up, democracy dies."
Campaign Action
