USA: Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla dragged out of press conference

Los Angeles/Washington. Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was violently escorted away by security forces during a press conference with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The California politician interrupted the Republican while she was addressing the protests in Los Angeles. Senators traditionally enjoy a prominent position in the United States, making the incident unusual.

Video footage shows Padilla stating his name and position, then shouting, "I have questions," during Noem's remarks. While he was still speaking, security guards intervened, grabbed him, and dragged him from the room. Padilla can also be heard shouting, "Hands off!" In the hallway, he was taken to the ground and handcuffed by FBI agents.

After the incident at X, the Department of Homeland Security stated that the Secret Service thought it was an attacker and therefore acted "appropriately." Padilla interrupted the press conference and approached Noem "without identifying himself."

Padilla has served in the U.S. Senate since 2021. He was appointed to succeed Kamala Harris after she entered the White House as Vice President under then-President Joe Biden. Padilla—a son of Mexican immigrants—is the first Latino to represent the state of California in the Senate in Washington.

Noem commented on the incident during the ongoing press conference. She said she did not know the senator personally. The minister criticized the senator's actions: "I think everyone in America would agree that this was inappropriate." She herself, meanwhile, sought a conversation with California Governor Gavin Newsom – without success, she said.

Shortly thereafter, he wrote on Platform X that the senator was one of the most decent people he knew. "This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful." Trump and his people are out of control. This must stop immediately.

The Department of Homeland Security later announced that Noem had a 15-minute conversation with Padilla following the incident.

RND/dpa