I don't care for people who shoot dogs, so naturally, I dislike Kristi Noem. From my own personal experience, I know ICE is populate by cowboys who act without thinking. Nevertheless, the removal of US Senator Alex Padilla from a Noem presser yesterday appears to have been justified.
I say this based on the account of a CBS cameraman who was there. He said that Noem was still delivering her opening remarks when he saw "an individual emerging from the press corps, taking steps toward the Secretary. ... trying to ask a question, saying, I have a question. And immediately, security is on him because as he is saying these questions, as he is speaking, he is taking steps approaching the secretary at the podium. So security grabs him, moves him out, and I gotta' tell you, I didn't recognize him at first either." It was only as he was being dragged out that he identified himself as a US Senator.
Now what happened outside when they cuffed him is another story.
Padilla never explained why he chose to interrupt Noem while she was making her opening remarks or why he approached the podium as he did so.
60 comments:
Setup publicity stunt!
Get rid of the bastard. Deport him to Central America!
The guy was wrong 100%. First of all, he tried to bully his way into control of the event. He could well have been a physical threat to the speaker and others nearby. This kind of behavior by an elected official is what most Americans find disgusting about the actor and the political party he/she represents.
Next, this bad actor refused to comply with the orders of the police officers. The video clearly shows him flailing his arms and wrestling with officers on the hallway floor. The next step was rightfully to secure him with handcuffs. A loser who truly disgraced himself and his position. Were I living in his district, he’d get no vote from me.
Noem, out there, living her best old yeller life.
"Nobody is above the law."
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) - who could have requested a meeting or addressed his concerns at a hearing, the way civilized people do when they're not looking for a public relations victory. He should be prosecuted. His home should be raided by armed FBI agents with shoot-to-kill orders. His wife's underwear drawer should be searched. Nobody is above the law. This goes for Republicans, as well.
He identified himself in the room, it should have ended right there and then.
Interesting that you, a passionate purveyor of political play, say this was justified. I guess you never have been so moved by your passion to rise out of your seat at a meeting/event to ask a burning question or address an issue you felt strongly opposed to? A U.S . Senator, waiting in a federal building for scheduled meeting with military officials, wanted to hear Noem’s remarks because he had no response to his questions from DHS
Regarding immigration enforcement plans. Noem, the unqualified anointed one, knew who Padilla was , he also was identifying himself to ask questions about mugshots displayed on her screen.
He was manhandled and thrown to the floor, handcuffed….
Noem proclaimed she thought everybody in America would agree his actions were inappropriate
…No, it was just another obscene presser for her to see herself in some faux command unit on reality tv…Not justifiable , Not acceptable,
What if it were Bernie treated this way? What would you report then?
Nobody knew who he was. She’s has had a lot of threats against her so her security detail wasn’t going to play around. He’s a big guy, and he pushed back pretty hard against the officers, resisting them. FBI uniformed police, ( yes the big field offices have uniformed FBI police that protect the facility) handcuffed him professionally. To me it was a political stunt by a senate backbencher. I didn’t recognize him, and I follow politics pretty closely. He wasn’t wearing his senate ID badge either.
There is nothing dumber than a CA dem. He made an ass of himself again.
This political theater by a so-called Senator has backfired big time. The creep probably cost Democrats hundreds of thousands of votes nationwide. Awful choice of ‘sales pitch.’
I liked Noems statement. She said if he wanted to talk she would have been happy to talk to him. This was a total political stunt.
As soon as they stopped him from approaching, he identified himself by Name and title. They then began pushing him out. This is Trumps America. If you protest, question or speak out against this administration you will be attacked.
FBIs statement. The security people were Secret Service. The uniformed people handcuffing were FBI. None were ICE officers.
During a press conference today held at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Senator Alex Padilla was detained by members of the U.S. Secret Service assigned to Secretary Noem’s detail when he became disruptive while formal remarks were being delivered," the spokesperson said Thursday. "Secret Service Agents were assisted by FBI Police who are in Los Angeles at this time. Senator Padilla was not wearing his senate security pin; however, was subsequently positively identified and released."
I wholeheartedly disagree. I too watched the video and heard him clearly identify himself as a senator. And even if noem did not hear him, the agents that tackled him certainly did. Also, he was led into the room by a member of the National Guard and an FBI agent.
Why did he not have his congressional pin that senators and congressman wear to identify them? When he was confronted the officers would have seen it and maybe handled differently. Two options are either he forgot or he did it on purpose so he would be arrested and so happens his people were filming. I bet its option 2. He quickly ran to a CNN/MSNBC camera then is on the news all evening even through nobody watches CNN. Democrats have no message or policy that would make life better so they resort to this nonsense and oppose anything Trump does. They care more about illegals that commit horrendous crimes rather than Americans. People need to change their voting habits.
We often do not agree politically, as I am quite conservative. We do agree on two items here. Padilla instigated the reaction due to his irresponsible actions. I am confident it was a calculated move since his aides were present before him and did not begin to video until he was restrained. He was in the wrong and should apologize. I would not care if he were prosecuted although he would wear that as a badge of honor rather than another sign of a loss of decorum and lack of adults in the room. The other thing we agree on, Noem is a strange ranger. She likes the camera a bit too much and is difficult to be taken seriously. From a governing perspective, all hat, no cattle.
I wholeheartedly disagree. I watched the video, and I suggest you do also, rather than base your entire opinion on the account of a CBS cameraman. The senator clearly identified himself, and he was led into the room by a member of the national Guard and an FBI agent.
You might want to rewatch the video. If that is what happens when a citizen, let alone a member of the US Senate, challenges the spread of lies about circumstances on the ground in terms of the e exercise of constitutional rights, we are in a very, very dangerous situation.
You’re right. To be in charge of security of a public official is no easy task. Whether it’s outright assasination attempts, threats or attacks on the families of officials, security is always on edge. Sorry Senator and the same goes for elected councilmen, representatives etc. your power comes when you sit as a body. There are no personal privileges of power when you are by yourself. When an elected body’s committee decides to investigate, investigate. On your own, you are just another Joe Citizen. You will get your turn, eventually.
WOW, there is hope for you- I couldn't agree with you more!
It was a selfish political stunt to get on TV . Nobody knew who this jackass was, but he achieved his goal, since he was on every left wing show last night.
Making NY dems look smart
He ignored all the proper channels to air his grievances. After 2 assassination attempts on Trump, combined with today's politically charged environment, I don't blame security for what they did. Nobody, myself included, knew who this guy was-he was only showboating.
Interesting how some seem to think all a shouting aggressive man has to do is shout "I am a US Senator" and law enforcement has to automatically stop. Maybe he should have just shouted "I am Spartacus!" Different guy, but makes just as much sense.
Padilla is a public official
Re: claims that he identified himself at some point. So what? Still no justification or special privilege to confront the Secretary the way he did.
He did ID himself, but only after security was in the process of removing him. And at that point, the main focus was removal of what was reasonably perceived to be a threat. The actions were justified. Not sure about what happened in the hallway. As for your statement that he as accompanied by FBI and nat'l guard, I have not read that anywhere, but they should have cautioned him against approaching Noem as he did. I do not think of what I saw as a sign of "creeping authoritarianism." I think Trump's use of 700 active-duty marines is much more troubling.
He identified himself after lunging at the podium AND pushing the SS Agents. By the way ANYBODY can yell I’m a senator, it doesn’t make it so.
The Secret Service isn’t going to play around after almost losing a presidential candidate. Senator or not, if you act like an asshole and start pushing LEOs in their own house you’re going to get cuffed. Oh but but he yelled he was a senator. That doesn’t mean shit anybody can yell anything, he wasn’t wearing his ID pin. Plus, he didn’t yell that until after he pushed back against the Secret Service Agents, he got what he deserved. He should have gotten charged IMO.
Second biggest FBI field office in the country is LA. You go in there acting like that with a pure political stunt you’re going to get removed. Just because you’re a senator doesn’t mean you can act like a lunatic in an FBI field office. It was a wasted stunt because Israel already washed this out of the news cycle lol.
I agree 100% it was pure Democrat theater. He doesn't give a shit about immigrants- only his political ambition.
No wonder my Party is out in the wilderness- no solutions, only theatrics!
Clearly political theater again orchestrated by the Democrats (especially Gavin Newsom). I don’t think he expected the justified response to his actions. Fight, fight, resist, resist, protest, protest, outrage, outrage, whine, whine. It truly becomes exhausting after awhile.
That is not what happened. That is what his aides choreographed.
Give me a break. If Bernie felt actions taken were justified. And they were. You are really far out there@
Yes there is a current President of the US
Trump has caused all this discontent and turmoil in the country. Otherwise there’s no press conference or resulting incident. Millions for his birthday parade while children around the world starve and lack medical care. He’s a heartless human being
He only wanted to ask her what Habeas Corpus means
You mean like the protestors on January 6? Ridiculous comment.
Your cope is delicious. More please?
"As for your statement that he as accompanied by FBI and nat'l guard, I have not read that anywhere"
Read Padilla's own words:
"We're, the whole time, being escorted in this federal building by somebody from the National Guard, somebody from the FBI. I've gone through screening. This is a federal building. And so, I tell them, 'Let's go listen to the press conference.' They escort me over to that room," Padilla told MSNBC.
"The folks that were escorting me in the building walked me over. I didn't even open the door. The door was opened for me. And I spent a few minutes in the back of the room just listening in until the rhetoric, the political rhetoric got to be too much to take. So, I spoke up," he later added.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/padilla-pushes-back-noems-claim-barged-news-conference/story?id=122817212
your sick- he was storming towards her
For that matter, a member of Stockertowm council is a public official. And if a member of Stockertown council charges a cabinet secretary yelling something unintelligible, they will be stopped with legitimate force. Just like a U.S. Senator! I am not impressed with Senators and Representatives. They talk a lot and do nothing! Perhaps, a Stockertown councilman does mor.
Lot of people claim to be the Messiah also. So let anyone approach anyone just by claiming they are supposed to be someone who everyone knows. Then you can act like an ass when no one stops you. Cool.
Padilla was trying to stop the propaganda filled with lies and false accusations: The words that led Sen. Padilla to confront Kristi Noem — and set off a political storm
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/words-led-padilla-confront-noem-set-storm-20376193.php
He's a US Senator and has a right to question cabinet officials. That's done in one-on-one meetings and at public hearings. Secret Service isn't taking chances after two assassination attempts, a Congressional baseball game shooting, and in Rand Paul's yard. Padilla is lucky he wasn't shot. It's almost like he wanted suicide by cop. He should schedule a meeting or request a hearing. He should practice courtesy and civility.
According to Padilla on The Beat with Ari Melber, June 12:
He explained that he had been in the federal building in Westwood for a meeting about the administration’s plan to use Guantanamo Bay as a facility to hold undocumented migrants when he learned that Noem would be speaking just down the hall and had decided to ask her for answers in person given that the DHS had been “non-responsive” to his requests for information.
Padilla continued: “We’re, the whole time, being escorted in this federal building by somebody from the National Guard, somebody from the FBI. I’ve gone through screening. This is a federal building.
“They escort me over to that room. And I’m sitting in the back of the room, behind the cameras, behind the reporters, listening, listening. And at one point, it was just too much to take.”
https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber
Seems to me the protesters have been the ones attacking people.
The senator and his staff had contacted Noam repeatedly and hadn't received much in the way of answers. Padilla was at this press conference in a federal building, with his staff, wearing clothing that identified him as a federal employee and told them he was a California senator. Why not just ask the guy for his ID? Why escalate the situation by physically assaulting him?
Bernie shows up to press conferences dressed in what can best be described as 'homeless elf attire' to ask questions and he's treated with respect.
He's a typical idiot for his way of getting attention for the press
Yes. ICE should get tougher with the the illegals and the demonstrators MORE FORCE and the hell with the Democrats
OK, he was escorted to the presser, but that does not mean he was flanked by them inside the room. He looked pretty much solo to me. And he approached Noem as she as still making her opening remarks. He did not just ask a question, but was approaching her and did not say who he was until he was confronted by security concerned justifiably that he was a threat.
Lol. I could wear Gucci and would look like I'm homeless. It's true I don't wear the uniform if I can avoid it, but even if I did, it would not help. And I will interrupt a speaker if he is feeding me bullshit or I have a burning question. But I do not ever approach someone in the middle of opening remarks in a manner that a might be perceived as threatening. That's where the US Senator went wrong.
Just because someone "identifies" as a US Senator doesn't mean that they actually are. His behavior placed him directly into a threat category and the protective folks treated him as such. The shooter in WI "identified" as a police officer and murdered two and injured two others. The "he identified as a Senator" argument is shallow at best, intellectually dishonest at worst. Hating the Great Orange God King and his minions is not a good excuse to act like a fool. Oh but he was passionate about his beliefs. Passion smashion, he has privilege that most of us will never enjoy.
Kristi Noem Is a joke and this was a Republican stunt. Bernie you of all people should be ashame of this posting. This Trump administration is the worse thing that ever happened to this great country and they are driving us into bankruptcy through lies and stupidity.
He can identify himself as Donald Duck and you still don't know. Again, Did he have his congressional pin on? Why not? If he had that on and said he was a Senator it may have ended differently. Without that pic he could be anybody. God dems are stupid.
Its obvious you are an idiot
Regardless what you think of her and the republicians; it still does NOT give that asshole the right to do what he did and he deserved what he got.
An obvious Fox News watcher. Mr. Padilla tried many, many times to meet with them or even speak on the phone. Those requests went unanswered. He didn’t even know about this presser in his district. That’s how un-transparent this regime is. They don’t even respond to the hard inquiries, or want honest press in their cult meetings. Research both sides before throwing accusations.
Deport an American citizen? Maybe they should rip you from your double wide in the sticks and send you to another country. At least Mr. Padilla seems to care about others.
LMAO! Didn’t know Bernie readers were there. Another Trump supporter who has no clue.
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