We Are Entering Uncharted Territory Here, Folks

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A scene with seemingly little precedent in United States politics took place in Los Angeles Thursday: Federal agents pushed Sen. Alex Padilla to the ground and handcuffed him after he attempted to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question during a press conference. Here is video of the incident that was provided to the Bulwark by Padilla’s staff:

Padilla was not arrested and spoke briefly to reporters after the incident. DHS has posted a statement which implies that Noem and her security team were not aware of who Padilla was before he was removed and accuses him of having “lunged” toward her. (The available video appears to show Padilla some 20 feet away from Noem when security began to remove him. Padilla can be heard identifying himself as he was being rushed out of the room.)

Noem’s press conference was itself remarkable. She was supposed to speak about the federal response to protests against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Just before Padilla’s interruption, she said that the federal government intended to “liberate” Los Angeles from its mayor and governor:

While the takeover of a U.S. city by the U.S. military would obviously be a dramatic and seemingly unconstitutional escalation, it’s not clear if Noem was referring to a formal action or speaking metaphorically. (Her exact words were, “We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city.” Neither California Gov. Gavin Newsom nor Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are members of any socialist party or organization.)

In a social media post, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the incident “disgusting” and said he would seek “answers” about what happened.

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