The moment U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) turned his shoulder into agents trying to escort him out of a news conference being given by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday, he should have known that trouble was imminent.
That was the assessment of CNN security correspondent Alex Campbell, who said Padilla’s body language signaled a clear warning to the protective detail assigned to Noem during her press event. Padilla was forcibly removed from the room, and shortly afterward, taken to the ground and handcuffed.
While the footage of a sitting senator being restrained sparked widespread outrage, Campbell told anchor Kaitlan Collins that the incident was not entirely out of hand given Padilla’s actions. “It’s easy to think about this as one incident, but from a law enforcement perspective, we’re really looking at three separate incidents that happened within a short period of time,” he explained.
“First, you have the DHS secretary who is addressing the press. This was not a Q&A period, and she was interrupted… by someone who was speaking very loudly, and so her security detail confronts what we now know to be the senator. At that point, he is going to be escorted out. You can’t interrupt something like that, something that’s already in progress,” he continued.
Instead of complying with directions from Secretary Noem’s security team, Padilla advanced toward the podium, prompting the physical altercation, Campbell explained. “The second incident, in my view, happens the moment as officers are trying to lead him out, he then turns and walks back towards and kind of into those agents. At that point, from a security detail perspective, we’re taking this person out against their will,” he said.
If not for Israel’s strike on Iran, Padilla’s treatment would have dominated front pages across the country on Friday. Reactions ranged from indifferent to outraged as lawmakers, political parties, and the White House scrambled to shape the narrative surrounding the unprecedented incident.
“Anyone who looks at it – anyone – anyone who looks at this, it will turn your stomach. To look at this video and see what happened reeks—reeks—of totalitarianism. This is not what democracies do,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said from the floor of the Senate on Thursday, while GOP lawmakers were much more muted.
“We want to get the full scope of what happened and do what we would do in any incident like this involving a senator and try to gather all the relevant information,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, adding that he’d already talked to Padilla about his side of the story.
Members of the GOP, however, sided with CNN’s Campbell in blaming Padilla for the treatment he received. “Don’t rush a cabinet member with no identification, and you won’t be detained. Easy,” said Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) on social media.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), directing her post at Padilla, wrote, “Angelenos need someone to stand up for them as criminal illegal aliens emboldened by Biden threaten law-abiding citizens. Why not join President Trump’s effort to protect your constituents instead of protesting removals of criminals.”
“Padilla didn’t want answers; he wanted attention,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. “Padilla embarrassed himself and his constituents with this immature, theater-kid stunt – but it’s telling that Democrats are more riled up about Padilla than they are about the violent riots and assaults on law enforcement in LA.”
