When Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly eliminated and tackled throughout Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem’s press convention in Los Angeles on Thursday, Democrats throughout the nation instantly got here to his protection.
As a result of, for them, they know that this was far more than only 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 Chief Chuck Schumer wrote on X.
“Sen. Padilla was in that constructing to ask questions of what is going on on in California, doing his responsibility to his constituents. We’d like solutions now,” he added.
Even former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke out, calling the stunt a “shameful and beautiful abuse of energy.”
Padilla confirmed as much as Noem’s press convention to ask concerning the ongoing army invasion of Los Angeles. And regardless of figuring out himself as a senator, Padilla was compelled out of the room earlier than he might end asking his query, pushed to the ground, and handcuffed.
“I used to be there peacefully,” he instructed reporters, highlighting that, if that is how a senator is handled, this can be a regarding signal of how common Individuals will probably be handled.
“If that is how this administration responds to a senator with a query, if that is how the Division of Homeland Safety responds to a senator with a query, you may solely think about what they’re doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out within the Los Angeles neighborhood and all through California and all through the nation,” Padilla stated.
The DHS, in the meantime, tried to disclaim accountability for the mistreatment of Padilla by claiming that he by no means recognized himself. Even Home Speaker Mike Johnson went so far as to say that Padilla, whose each transfer was caught on digicam, rushed the stage.
Unhappy with these lies, Democrats marched to Senate Majority Chief John Thune’s workplace to demand solutions.
“The brutal handcuffing of Senator Padilla is an affront to democracy,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland wrote on BlueSky. “I’m becoming a member of Home Democrats to march to Senator Thune’s workplace and to demand that he defend his Colleagues from this out-of-control authoritarian onslaught.”
And whereas Republicans cover behind flimsy excuses, Democrats like Rep. Eric Swalwell of California took to Capitol Hill to demand Noem’s resignation.
“Kristi Noem should resign. She has deported a 4 12 months previous with most cancers, detained a U.S. marshal, and arrested two members of Congress. She’s misplaced the boldness of the American folks. ICE should cease terrorizing our communities,” he wrote on BlueSky.
Together with the submit, Swalwell included a video of himself alongside different politicians, together with former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during which he compares masked ICE brokers to “Russian KGB brokers.”
“It is No Kings Day this Saturday. Individuals want to point out up,” he added. “As a result of if we do not present up, democracy dies.”
