Arguably, he was grandstanding: U. S. Senator Alex Padilla showed up at a press conference in LA held by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and started to ask a question, giving his name and title in the process. Three men shoved him out into the hall, where he was handcuffed by men wearing vests marked "FBI," briefly detained and then released, having not been formally arrested or charged.
But here's the thing: Members of Congress are allowed to be just this kind of meddlesome. It's in their job description.
Officially, Cabinet Secretaries and Senators are just about co-equal; for diplomatic purposes (who gets their hand shaken ahead of whom or gives way in the desert line at a State dinner), the Cabinet (at 12th) is one notch ahead of Senators (at 13) and they both get to elbow aside state Governors and House members. But in the checks and balances kind of way, Senators and Representatives are supposed to get kid-gloves treatment, especially when acting in the interest of those they represent; the military rank them above 4-star officers and Secretary Noem, were she just a bit more slick, would have countered with an impatient, "Yes, Senator?" Then let him speak, and made a non-committal or cutting remark before returning to her prepared statement.
She didn't. By chance or design, a ranking member of the Executive branch caused a ranking member of the Legislative branch to be silenced, shoved aside, and restrained. He was made to kneel before being proned out and cuffed. It's holographic; you can take the part for the whole, and understand this to be the Trump administration's entire approach to federal governance: autocratic and high-handed, believing its authority to be unquestionable.
This is not the way our government was supposed to function.
It's a stunt, and a stupid, entitled stunt at that.
ReplyDeleteFirst, nobody gets anywhere by yelling "do you know who I am!", if they're a Senator, rock star, or the mayor's kid getting a DUI.
Second, rushing a press conference is no more the time or place for a member of Congress to question elected officials (again, stupid stunt) than a traffic stop for raising the Constitutionality of motor vehicle laws with the officer. The time and place for hard questions is in Congress, with that official under oath.
Third, Stupid Stunts, "Mostly Peaceful" protest (if cars are getting burned, you ain't peaceful), and other clown show resistance dramas are firmly under the category of Not Helping. The Democrats are doing Trump a very firm solid in their reactions to his policies- a 3rd of the nation didn't vote for him- but they didn't vote against him either, and I suspect that it's because they loath the Democrats more. A position I understand.
They need to grow up, get serious, and leave the clown stunts to the current admin if they want to present a valid alternative. Just being "Not Trump" hasn't worked for the past 8 years, and won't work now.
The Senator did not ask, "Do you know who I am." He gave his name and title.
DeleteAt least three different angles of the incident are available and I encourage you to have a look.
Same concept, even if the wording isn't exact. It's still not the time and place for a Senator to question an Admin official.
DeleteAnd yep, I agree that the Dog Shooter also bungled it, and did him a willing favor as well by having him rushed out... but it's not something that's going to appeal to those not already on his side. And that's the whole point of the exercise- to convince people that the current situation is a bad thing. This is an utter distraction from that purpose, because the actual issue is covered up by the question of decorum.
Joe in PNG writes, "It's still not the time and place for a Senator to question an Admin official."
DeleteIf not there, where? If not then, when? I don't get you. Holding the Executive to question is part of the job of the Legislative branch, and there the Secretary was, in largest city in the state that Senator represents, proposing at that time: "We are not going away. We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country." That's a direct threat to the elected leaders of city and state governments. It is antithetical to democracy, and considering that the harshest thing the Senator did was raise his voice, he showed remarkable restraint.
Again, the time and place for hard questions is in Committee, with the official under oath.
Delete"...the time and place for hard questions is in Committee, with the official under oath," you write. I'm sorry, I can't find that part of the U. S. Constitution. Would you care to point it out?
DeleteHaving seen the wider view, Senator Padilla is not "rushing" (or "lunging"). He's moving slowly. And stunt it may be, but it is nevertheless behavior well within the remit of a U.S. Senator and the reaction to it is entirely over the top.
ReplyDeleteIf the choice is between authoritarianism on one hand and a lack of decorum on the other, I'll take the indecorousness. YMMV.
It should not be missed that when the Senator interrupts, Secretary Noem is promising to "liberate" LA from unspecified "socialists" and from the duly elected Mayor of the city and Governor of the state, a threat that in my opinion merits at least a teensy bit of rudeness in response..YMMV there, too, but I will think less of anyone who encourages politely knuckling under.
I really, really would rather see the Democrats not do the things that play well to only their 30%, but flop outside the bubble. Even if they didn't haul the guy out, nothing productive would be accomplished.
DeleteWhen the situation is serious, the nonsense needs to end. The fact that it is very serious is more of a reason to demand actually effective actions- radical chic posturing isn't actually effective action.
I don't agree that it was "nonsense," and while I suspect it is well past time for ineffectual gestures to end, I don't think what comes next is going to be any nicer, no matter what it is.
DeleteI'm starting to think it's time for me to consider becoming a citizen elsewhere. I'm still watching the pushback and doing what I can, but there's a time to cut one's losses and bail, especially if one happens to be old maid with unpopular opinions and limited resources. If autocratic theocracy is what enough people want to make it happen, then my country has left me.
We may have to disagree with that.
DeleteAs for places to go, Australia is pretty nice, even if the gun laws suck. Good beer- and Fosters doesn't count.
With the fix apparently in, even in SCOTUS, what the hell else are Dems going to do? It's a long time before the next chance to vote some of the treasonous bastards out. Making them uncomfortable at every public moment is just fine with me.
DeleteRoberta, I have leaned GOP my entire life. The post-MAGA GOP has certainly left me. I may have to hold my nose and vote Dem the rest of my life after seeing how spineless the old guard has become in the face of Trump.
My wife has wondered about moving to Canada, until I remind her it's colder up there.
The senator was treated as anyone else would have been, claiming to be a senator w/o security id... (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/06/13/secret_service_followed_protocol_in_padilla_incident__152924.html)
ReplyDeleteGiven that your source is more biased and less reliable than RT (the former Russia Today) and only slight better on both axes than "Epoch Times," I'm going to say you went looking for confirmation rather than facts.
DeleteHighly-recognizable U. S. Senator, known to be in the building, with his own security escort -- and given that conservative GOP political insider Corey Lewandowski went tearing down the hall, telling the men restraining him they had hold of an actual Senator, I'm reasonably confident they knew who he was.
Like it or not, the rules are different for Members of Congress, especially under these sorts of circumstances. What we saw from the people around the DHS Secretary was straight-up police-state stuff, and it's very likely to get worse before it gets better, in part because so many credulous fools are willing to try to normalize it.
Check your sources. https://app.adfontesmedia.com/chart/interactive
The idea that ICE Barbie didn’t recognize the ranking member of the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, who she’s had to sit in front of and answer questions, is frickin’ ludicrous. Miss me with that.
ReplyDeleteJoe, I'm not sure what you expect the Democrats to do differently. The party needs its own "TEA Party" moment, sure, but none of them have any idea how to get there.
ReplyDelete"The senator was treated as anyone else would have been...." And there's the shame - that anyone should be treated as Sen Padilla was.
ReplyDeleteI believe he fully accomplished the purpose for which he went there . . . clickbait.
ReplyDeleteAnd just why, pray tell, was Secretary Noem there in person, if not for the exact same reason? There was no reason for her to burn jet fuel for a presser.
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