Charlie Sykes: What happened to Padilla was shocking. And the MAGA response has been ominous.
On Thursday, Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles. The Democrat was pushed to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents. The scene was appalling. The thugification of the Trump administration is not a new phenomenon, but it has rarely been so graphically on display.
What happened to Padilla was shocking, but what has been far more shocking and more ominous has been the response.
It was certainly possible that there was a misunderstanding and that the FBI agents accompanying Noem simply didn't know who the senator was. In a normal universe, those agents and Noem would admit they got it wrong and apologize.
But they didn't. Because, in this administration, not only do they never apologize, they continually escalate. Noem said Padilla was lunging forward and did not identify himself during the news conference — video of the incident shows Padilla did, indeed, state he was a U.S. senator. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino defended his agents, writing on X that they 'acted completely appropriately.' Bongino also said he was 'grateful for their professionalism and service.'
Then there's House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said Padilla should be censured. 'I think that that behavior at a minimum ... rises to the level of a censure,' Johnson told reporters on Thursday. 'I think there needs to be a message sent by the body as a whole that that is not what we're going to do, that's not how we're going to act.'
The fact that they are embracing and celebrating this shocking episode and making Padilla appear like the one who took things too far tells you the direction that we're heading. They are trying to desensitize us, they are trying to numb us, and they are trying to normalize these kinds of abuses.
Remember, this is an administration that not only threatened to arrest a sitting Democratic governor but has already arrested a state judge and a Democratic mayor.
After Thursday's incident, Padilla stressed an important point: If this is how the administration treats a sitting United States senator, how will they treat the average citizen?
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
24 minutes ago
- Axios
Thurmond joins Georgia governor's race, citing experience and record
Michael Thurmond won over voters three times across Georgia to become — and remain — the state's labor commissioner. He hopes to repeat history in his run for governor. Why it matters: Thurmond, who most recently served as DeKalb County CEO, is the fifth Democrat to jump into the race to succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited. The latest: Thurmond announced his candidacy early Wednesday, with a campaign video noting he's ready to put "boots on Georgia ground." What they're saying: Thurmond told Axios on Wednesday that he entered the race after traveling around the state — "particularly [the] Georgia that exists outside of 285," he said — and hearing residents' ideas on how to move Georgia forward. Those voters, he said, want leaders to move beyond partisanship and "get back to the basics and address issues they are concerned about." Those issues include the rising cost of groceries, lack of access to affordable health care and job creation. State of play: Thurmond joins state Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Rep. Derrick Jackson and businessman Olu Brown on the Democratic primary ballot. On the Republican side, Attorney General Chris Carr and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones are running. Reality check: Thurmond is running for governor in a solid Republican state. Georgia swung for former Democratic President Biden in the 2020 election, but President Trump put the state back in the GOP column last year. Yes, but: The former DeKalb County CEO told Axios he is confident voters will consider him a viable candidate because of his "strong record of accomplishments and willingness to build bridges." Flashback: Thurmond's tenure in politics stretches back decades. He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1986 and was the first Black person elected to represent Clarke County since Reconstruction. He was elected labor commissioner in 1998 and served three terms. In 2013, he was selected to become superintendent of the DeKalb County School District at a time when the system was facing a major deficit and its accreditation was at risk. He was elected DeKalb County's CEO in 2016 and served two terms before opting not to seek reelection. Fun fact: The Athens, Georgia, native has published three books about Georgia history. He was a finalist for 2025's Georgia Author of the Year for "James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia." What we're watching: Whether Stacey Abrams, the two-time Democratic gubernatorial candidate, will make a third run.
Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
Fort Stewart shooting ‘doesn't look like terrorism,' former FBI official says
Chris Swecker, retired FBI assistant director, discusses the Fort Stewart shooting in Georgia on 'The Story.'
Indianapolis Star
26 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
Reps. Carson, Mrvan slam White House redistricting attempts as their own seats are under threat
Indiana's two Democratic congressmen condemned the Trump administration's mid-decade redistricting efforts, as Vice President JD Vance prepares to talk to state leaders about the potential for redrawing the maps in Indiana. The congressmen, U.S. Rep. André Carson and U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, may be targets themselves. Mrvan, whose northwest Indiana district appears to be trending to the right, has already faced well-funded GOP opponents as the national party seeks to flip the district red. In 2024, House Speaker Mike Johnson told IndyStar the seat 'belongs in the Republican column.' Vance is meeting with Gov. Mike Braun and Indiana General Assembly leaders in Indianapolis on Aug. 7, where he's expected to discuss redistricting. But the jury's out on whether Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate Pro Tempore Rodric Bray will agree, particularly as any redistricting effort would require a special session. Braun has yet to make any commitments. "I'm going to listen and see where they're coming from," Braun told reporters at the Statehouse on Aug. 5. "And again, I'm going to be listening along with the other two leaders in the legislature and everybody's going to probably have a little different point of view." In a statement on Aug. 5, Mrvan called redistricting efforts an attempt to cling to power. 'It's reprehensible to call in the Indiana General Assembly for a special session on redistricting when the communities I represent believe their time would be better spent to discuss initiatives that restore state funds for our local police departments,' he said in the statement. Democrats have held the 1st district seat for nearly a century but faced trouble in 2022 after lines were redrawn. Since then, Mrvan has held onto the seat by a relatively slim margin — winning by almost six percentage points in 2022 and eight percentage points in 2024. Mrvan also called a potential mid-decade redistricting a violation of the Indiana Constitution. It's unclear if the move would in fact be unconstitutional. It is according to a 1995 opinion from the Attorney General's office, but that opinion is not binding. The section of the Indiana Constitution that opinion refers to requires redistricting to be done by state legislators elected during a federal decennial census year — the next of which is 2030. However, it's unclear how that provision applies to congressional districts. Carson told a crowd gathered at the Indianapolis Artsgarden during a 60-year celebration of the Voting Rights Act on Aug. 6 that Trump wants to redraw district lines because he's a 'dictator.' 'Our voting rights are under attack like never before,' Carson said. He also questioned the legality of the efforts, calling the Indiana Constitution 'clear' on when redistricting is done. Unlike Mrvan, Carson represents the bluest district in Indiana. In 2024, he beat his Republican opponent by nearly 30 percentage points. Carson didn't say if he expected his seat to be targeted when asked by IndyStar but said he was in contact with legislators and advocacy groups. 'We're taking a wait-and-see approach,' he said.
