Democrat Senator Dragged Out of Press Conference (Video)

Padilla accused of “lunging” at DHS Secretary during tense presser; Newsom slams Trump, calls incident ‘dictatorial’

In a stunning scene that underscored the deepening rift between Republican leadership and progressive Democrats, California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed by authorities after storming a press conference led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles.

The press event was held in the wake of violent anti-ICE riots that have rocked the city for nearly a week. As Noem was delivering opening remarks, Padilla—who had just flown in from Washington, D.C.—charged toward the podium and began shouting over her before being intercepted by security officers.

“He came in loud, aggressive, and advancing toward the Secretary,” said a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. “He did not identify himself as a senator, he wasn’t wearing any credentials, and he refused multiple commands to step back.”

Sources on the ground say Secret Service agents believed Padilla was a potential threat. He was immediately detained, pushed out of the room, and briefly handcuffed in the hallway before revealing his identity.

“He made no effort to identify himself as a sitting U.S. Senator,” Noem later told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum. “From where I stood, this looked like a political stunt that put my security and the press corps at risk.”

Despite the disruption, Noem continued the briefing, outlining DHS’s latest surge operations in the city. She declared Los Angeles “liberated” from the failed policies of Democratic leadership and pledged ongoing federal enforcement to root out violent agitators and illegal criminal networks.

Padilla, however, took a different tone afterward. Speaking to reporters, he claimed he was “forced to the ground” for merely trying to ask a question.

“If this is how DHS treats a U.S. Senator, imagine what they’re doing to undocumented workers in East LA,” Padilla said. “We will hold this administration accountable for its authoritarian behavior.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t hesitate to jump into the fray. In a post on X, he blasted President Trump and his administration for the confrontation.

“This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful,” Newsom wrote. “Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”

But Secretary Noem wasn’t backing down. In a second statement Thursday night, she slammed Padilla’s actions as “reckless and unbecoming.”

“He burst into a secure briefing, shouting, pointing, and closing distance,” Noem said. “He was removed because he acted like a protester, not a public servant.”

A source inside the room described the moment as “tense and chaotic,” noting that reporters initially thought it was an assassination attempt.

Padilla and Noem did meet in private for 15 minutes after the incident. Both sides acknowledged opening a line of communication. But the Senator’s media comments appear to have reignited tensions.

The incident comes just hours after Padilla left the Congressional Baseball Game in D.C., where he was slated to start at first base, to rush home as protests escalated in his home state.

The Biden-appointed senator has faced mounting criticism from conservatives for his soft stance on border enforcement and illegal immigration. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s firm response to the LA unrest has earned praise from Republican voters across the country.

“Los Angeles has been a warzone,” one DHS official told Fox Digital. “This administration is here to restore order—not tolerate political grandstanding.”

As for Padilla, his next appearance may be in front of the Senate Ethics Committee. Republicans are now demanding an investigation into whether he knowingly violated federal security protocol.

With Trump doubling down on DHS operations in blue cities, Thursday’s incident may only be the beginning of a larger national showdown.