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United States Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) is calling for an investigation into why federal agents tackled and handcuffed her colleague, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California), after he attempted to question Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday.
Warren also said that Noem should step down from her position within the Trump administration.
The Massachusetts senator called for Noem’s resignation during an interview on Thursday night with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
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“Why was Sen. Padilla handcuffed? He was handcuffed for asking a question? He was handcuffed for doing his job as a senator?” Warren asked, noting that the senator has the right to “conduct oversight” on Noem’s work.
Warren also condemned Noem and the Trump administration for trying “to gaslight everybody” by “placing the blame” on Padilla himself.
Padilla had attempted to ask Noem a question relating to the administration sending thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-California) said the developments were an unnecessary reaction to protests in the city against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids last week.
After the press conference, Noem attempted to blame Padilla, claiming in an interview that “this man burst into the room and started lunging toward the podium.”
He “did not identify himself and was removed from the rooms,” Noem added. “As soon as he identified himself, appropriate actions were taken.”
Video of the incident disproves Noem’s claims, showing that Padilla had identified himself immediately and did not lunge toward the DHS secretary. Despite stating that he was a senator and wearing identifying clothing, agents forcibly removed him from the room, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him, as Noem watched and did nothing to stop them.
Padilla also didn’t “burst into” the room where the press conference took place — instead, he was escorted into the presser by a member of the National Guard and an FBI agent, who accompanied him the entire day while he was inside the same building.
“They opened the door for me,” Padilla later recalled.
Warren blasted the administration for its attacks on speech freedoms and dissent against the president.
“Anyone who isn’t already convinced that the Trump administration is trying to undermine free speech in this country, trying to shut down anyone who doesn’t agree with Donald Trump and doesn’t bend a knee to Donald Trump — anyone who doesn’t believe that that’s what the Trump administration is doing needs to watch that video of Sen. Padilla being wrestled to the ground and handcuffed simply for trying to ask a question,” Warren said in her MSNBC interview.
She further called for an inquiry into the incident, saying that Noem should exit the administration.
“We need an independent investigation of this. It is time also for Kristi Noem to resign,” Warren said. “She needs to resign.”
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