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Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California on Sunday claimed that he was just trying to ask a question when he was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference in Los Angeles last week.
Padilla recalled his side of the story during an appearance on CNN’s "State of the Union," saying that he was already in the building for a separate briefing when he decided to attend Noem’s press conference about the recent immigration protests and riots in Los Angeles.
But what happened next, he said, "you can't script this in Hollywood."
"I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or disruptive – and I don’t think I was," the senator said. "I was simply asking a question just as the members of the press corps ask questions, members of the Congress, members of the Senate ask questions to do our job to hold the administration accountable."
DEMOCRATS CASH IN AFTER PADILLA FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM TRUMP ADMIN PRESS CONFERENCE
Padilla was handcuffed and briefly detained by officers as he aimed to speak out in opposition to Trump administration immigration raids that sparked unrest in Los Angeles and smaller protests across the country this month.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a news conference regarding the recent protests in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Videos of the incident showed Padilla attempting to walk up to Noem while she was speaking at a podium and trying to shout over the secretary, but law enforcement stepped in and forcefully stopped Padilla's advance.
Padilla was eventually taken out of the room, brought to the ground and handcuffed, the videos showed. Fox News reporters who were present at the news conference said Padilla appeared to be detained for a period of time.
Padilla and Noem ended up holding a meeting afterward, which Padilla’s office described as "civil," and Noem described as "cordial" despite the strong disagreements between the two.
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Padilla said during another Sunday television appearance on CBS’ "Face the Nation" that he learned "nothing substantive, nothing informative" from the later meeting with Noem.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Cameron Arcand contributed to this report.