WASHINGTON – Sen. Alex Padilla delivered an emotional floor speech June 17, his first remarks on the Senate floor since the California Democrat was dragged out of a press conference in Los Angeles held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, pushed to the floor, and handcuffed.
“You’ve seen the video. I was pushed and pulled. Struggled to maintain my balance. I was forced to the ground, first on my knees and then flat on my chest,” Padilla said as he choked back tears. “If that is what the administration is willing to do to a United States senator for having the authority to simply ask a question, imagine what they’ll do to any American who dares to speak up.”
Federal law enforcement agents forcibly removed Padilla from Noem’s June 12 press conference after he interrupted the event amid mass protests over the administration’s immigration crackdown.
More: ‘Unhinged’: Democrats are furious Sen. Alex Padilla was hauled out of Noem briefing
Noem’s agency oversees Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which had been carrying out raids in Los Angeles. Protesters flooded the nation’s second most populous city’s downtown for days, some of which devolved into violence as protesters burned cars and looted buildings.
Padilla said that he had gone to the federal building in Los Angeles where Noem was holding the press conference that day because he had a briefing with a four-star general about the military deployment in the city.
His briefing was delayed by Noem’s press conference, he said, so he asked an FBI agent and a national guardsman whether he could attend. They escorted him to the press conference, where he listened until Noem began speaking about plans to “liberate” Los Angeles.
“We are not going away. We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and mayor have placed on this country,” Noem said. Padilla started asking: “Madam Secretary I want to know why you insist on –” before he was grabbed by security guards.
During his floor speech, Padilla said the administration planned “to somehow liberate us from the very people we democratically elected to lead our city and our state. Let that fundamentally un-American mission statement sink in.”
“Are we truly prepared to live in a country where the president can deploy the armed forces to decide which duly elected governors and mayors can lead our constituents?” he continued.
Noem said during the press conference that she didn’t recognize the two-term Padilla and that he hadn’t requested a meeting with her. They met for for 15 minutes afterward, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Tricia McLaughlin, a Trump DHS official, wrote on X that Padilla’s actions were “disrespectful political theatre” and claimed that the Secret Service believed he was an attacker. Republicans in Congress similarly put the blame on Padilla. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, told reporters shortly after the event that Padilla’s actions were “wildly inappropriate” and said he should be censured.
Democrats were furious upon viewing the viral video of Padilla being forced to the ground.
“Anybody that looks at that video will understand that this amounts to an assault, a felony,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “The White House is unhinged and out of control.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sen. Padilla chokes back tears in floor speech on handcuffing
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