Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif) recounted an incident where he was handcuffed by security following a press conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Christa Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday. He attributed misinformation from his secretary as the catalyst for his comments, labeling many of the claims about his behavior as “all BS.”
In an interview with “Pod Save America,” Padilla explained that a scheduled briefing was postponed because some individuals he needed to meet were present during Noem’s press conference.
“So we were waiting and thought, ‘They’re not responding to our inquiries or letters. Perhaps we should ask if there’s anything they’d like to address,’” he shared.
Padilla described being “literally escorted” by National Guard personnel and FBI agents and said he was placed in a designated room.
“They opened the door for me. I was standing behind. I tried to listen. There wasn’t much in front of the camera or reporters, just rhetoric. This isn’t the first instance of misinformation,” Padilla stated.
“Anyone who watched the video knows I introduced myself repeatedly. They recognized me. I wasn’t rushing towards the secretary; I was preparing to ask questions from the back of the room,” he continued.
“It took just 30 seconds for multiple agents to surround me… Next thing I knew, I was on my knees, handcuffed, and on the ground.”
Management officials defended Noem’s security team, asserting they acted appropriately in responding to an unidentified individual and did not recognize Padilla, despite his claim of saying, “Senator Alex Padilla. I have a question for the secretary.”
They also pointed out that he wasn’t wearing his Senate pins, which are meant to help lawmakers be easily identified by U.S. Capitol police while moving around the building.
“Padilla embarrassed himself and his constituents with this childish stunt while implying that Democrats are behind violent riots and attacks against LA law enforcement,” they argued.
During the podcast, Padilla stated he wore a shirt featuring the US Senate logo when he entered the room.
“I said, ‘I’m your US Senator.’ And if you watch the video, you can see I introduced myself multiple times. This is all BS. It’s pure spin.”
Padilla also recounted the meeting with Noem that took place after the press conference, emphasizing it was their first interaction and he received limited answers to his inquiries.
“That’s why I agreed to meet with her, even after being handcuffed, when the opportunity arose with her audience and the next group,” he explained.
The discussion lasted roughly 10 minutes.
“The key takeaway here is that when they feel threatened, senators are handcuffed and treated like criminals. Just imagine how they’re treating the general public,” he remarked.
“We are living in precarious times for the United States.”
Source: thehill.com