Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed from a press briefing on Thursday featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was providing an update regarding the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots in Los Angeles.
In a video shared by Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, the Democrat senator can be heard saying, “I am Senator Alex Padilla,” as he attempted to push past security officials in the press briefing room on Thursday. After interrupting the press briefing, Padilla told security officials that he had “questions for the secretary” as he was forcibly removed from the room.
Another video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows Padilla being handcuffed by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and other security officials.
In a statement addressing Thursday’s incident, the Department of Homeland Security said, “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. Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands.”
The Department of Homeland Security explained that the Secret Service believed the Democrat senator was “an attacker” and claimed that the security officers “acted appropriately.” The Department of Homeland Security added that Noem met with Padilla and had a 15-minute meeting with him after the incident.
An FBI spokesperson told Fox News, “During a press conference today held at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Senator Alex Padilla was detained by members of the U.S. Secret Service assigned to Secretary Noem’s detail when he became disruptive while formal remarks were being delivered.”
READ MORE: Videos: Democrat congresswoman denied entry to federal building amid major riots
The FBI spokesperson noted that Padilla was identified and released by the FBI Police and Secret Service Agents following Thursday’s incident.
According to Fox News, Padilla told reporters that he was “forced to the ground” by security officials, adding, “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 farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California.”
Responding to Padilla’s claims on Thursday, Noem described the Democrat senator’s comments as “absolutely ridiculous.”
“This man burst into a room, started advancing toward the podium, interrupting an opening statement, elevating his voice, [and] shouting questions,” Noem stated. “People tried to stop him from interrupting the press conference. He refused and continued to lunge towards the podium. That is when he was removed from the room. The way that he acted was completely inappropriate.”
