Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) appears on CNN’s “State of the Union” show with Dana Bash on Sunday to do a spin job about his incident at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s briefing last week.
As we reported, Padilla entered Noem’s press briefing and came up the side of the room, speaking loudly, interrupting her, at a time of heightened threats against the DHS. It was not even time yet for questions from the reporters who were supposed to be there. He didn’t identify himself in the scuffle until agents were pushing him back, yet he then continued pushing against them.
California Senator Padilla denies that he was looking for a viral moment this week when he pushed his way toward DHS Secretary Noem during her press conference, and says he was simply wanting to ask a question.
The only problem with his answer? Secretary Noem was not taking… pic.twitter.com/MSIEvJU0WQ
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) June 15, 2025
He says he was there for another briefing from “Northern Command.” So he was supposed to be getting a briefing from the military, but then he went to crash Noem’s briefing. But no, he wasn’t going for the “viral moment,” not at all. If he wasn’t going for the viral moment, he would have waited for the appropriate time for questions.
RELATED: Kristi Noem Levels Alex Padilla With Facts After He Issues a Statement
He’s a senator, he could have contacted her or set up a meeting with her. She did meet with him after this incident, to answer his questions for about 10-15 minutes. They even exchanged numbers and he’s still going on like this and going off on her. But it’s not about a viral moment, remember.
He claims he was brought into the room by a National Guard member and an FBI agent. But, her security didn’t know who he was.
RELATED: CNN Segment Featuring Security Expert’s Take on the Alex Padilla Stunt Does Not Go According to Plan
Padilla tried the “Don’t you know who I am!” defense, questioning how she could not know who he was. Bash asked if he was calling on Noem to resign.
Senator Alex Padilla continues the ever-popular ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ defense.
The 15 minutes are up, Senator. pic.twitter.com/mRF9iWUeGT
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 15, 2025
He wanted to know how she could not have recognized him. He thought that said something about her when, indeed, it says something about him. No one appears to have recognized him. That’s not her problem; it’s his problem that he’s been so unremarkable as a senator that no one even knows what he looks like.
But it’s that last thing that he said that takes so much gall.
And, certainly, how does the secretary of homeland security not know how to de-escalate a situation? It’s because she can’t or because they don’t want to. And it sets the tone. Donald Trump and Secretary Noem have set the tone for the Department of Homeland Security and the entire administration in terms of escalation and extreme enforcement actions.
Wow. He loudly disrupted her briefing, and even after the agents began pushing him out, he kept pushing back. He talks about her having to know how to de-escalate. Who escalated this situation here? It wasn’t Noem. She was trying to give her briefing. She did a great job, even being kind enough, under the circumstances to meet with him and give him her number, despite his behavior.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin clapped back.
Serious people don’t barge into a press conference, interrupt while the Secretary of Homeland Security is giving opening remarks and then start aggressively lunging toward her, defying officers commands to move back and then pushing and shoving law enforcement.
A Kindergartener… https://t.co/kWAlvGXHHq
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) June 15, 2025
Serious people don’t barge into a press conference, interrupt while the Secretary of Homeland Security is giving opening remarks and then start aggressively lunging toward her, defying officers commands to move back and then pushing and shoving law enforcement.
A Kindergartener knows better.
It is embarrassing conduct for any person, much less a sitting U.S. Senator.
I don’t think the Democratic narrative on this is going very well.
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