In his first remarks on the Senate floor since being handcuffed at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s press briefing last week, California Democrat Alex Padilla blasted President Trump as a “vindictive president on a tour of retribution” and warned of the administration’s actions against Americans in “places where there are no cameras.”.
The arrest of Padilla was the most shocking development in a turbulent week for the city of Los Angeles. Just last week, Trump sent National Guard soldiers and Marines to quell the turmoil and protests that broke out in reaction to the administration’s decision to detain immigrants in the city. Democratic lawmakers were outraged by the confrontation and the administration’s harsh treatment of the sitting senator.
Along with other Democrats who got on the message bandwagon, Padilla issued a statement at the time warning that the way federal law enforcement treated him boded poorly for regular Americans.
On Tuesday, he reiterated the same point to his Senate colleagues, warning that the prospect of such a crackdown may intimidate Americans into remaining silent.
“How many Americans in the year 2025 wonder if it’s worth it to stand up or speak out when they see a president on a revenge tour, unchecked by the majority of this separate and equal branch of government?” How can we expect ordinary citizens to speak up when even a senator from our nation is scared to do so? As stated by Padilla on Tuesday.
The senator from California broke down in tears as he described the ordeal he endured last week, when he was dragged from the briefing room, slammed to the floor, and then shackled, “first on my knees and then flat on my chest.” He had trouble keeping his equilibrium during the ordeal.
Noem criticized as a “un-American” sentiment the idea that “the purpose of federal law enforcement and the purpose of the United States military was to ‘liberate Los Angeles from our governor and our mayor,'” and Padilla claims that he was put in handcuffs for questioning this notion.
Padilla was only seeking publicity for himself, according to Noem and other administration officials who have defended the conduct. Noem told Fox News soon after the incident, “It wasn’t becoming of a U.S. senator or a public official, and perhaps he wanted the scene.”
According to Padilla, he was followed into the briefing room by an FBI agent and a National Guardsman after he had requested their permission to attend Noem’s press conference and been led past security screening. According to Padilla, the police officers “stood by silently” while they dragged him out of the room and put him in handcuffs.
The incident was “not just about immigrant communities or even just the state of California — it’s about every single American who values their constitutional rights,” Padilla warned, adding, “If what you saw happen can happen when the cameras are on, imagine not only what can happen but what is happening in so many places where there are no cameras.”
In light of the Trump administration’s harsh crackdowns, the senator urged Americans to peacefully protest, saying, “no one is coming to save us but us.”
“Imagine the power of tens of millions of Americans peacefully protesting if this administration is this scared of one senator asking a question, colleagues,” he admonished.
