House floor devolves into chaos as lawmakers have a profane shouting match over Alex Padilla arrest
Two New York Congressmen got into a wild shouting match on the floor of the House of Representatives over the arrest earlier Thursday of Senator Alex Padilla.
John Mannion, a New York Democrat, challenged fellow New Yorker and GOP Congressman Mike Lawler after Padilla was arrested when he interrupted ICE Barbie Kristi Noem's press conference.
Lawler was on the House floor speaking to Democrat Jimmy Pannetta of California when Mannion started losing it on him, saying to Lawler to 'get off the Democratic side of the floor.'
An anonymous House Democrat tells Axios Mannion 'stands up and just starts yelling at him for absolutely no reason but emotion about the atmosphere that we're in right now.'
However, his vulgar outburst was eventually captured on video, with Mannion yelling: 'You've got to do something. Stand up. Grow a pair of balls.'
'F***ing get over there and get some f***ing balls! Tell them! Tell them! You know who I am!'
At that point, the microphone over the House floor was turned off and all that could be heard was muffled shouting.
In a statement to social media, Lawler didn't hold back in his contempt for the Democrat.
'John Mannion was entirely unhinged and unprofessional. That was a shameful display that exposed his complete lack of temperament. No wonder numerous staffers have previously alleged a toxic work environment. He should go seek help for anger management - and f*** off.'
Last August, Mannion was cleared by a New York State Senate investigation into claims of harassment, The New York Post reported.
When asked what the shouting was about Mannion told Axios that he and Lawler 'served in the state legislature' in New York and that he 'knows well enough.
'I asked him to compel his colleagues to save the country and stop what the people of this country do not want ... the defiance of law,' Mannion added.
However, even Mannion's fellow Democrats were left baffled, as Panetta - who Lawler was originally speaking to - asked him: 'What are you doing?'
'My own thing,' Mannion shrugged and replied.
All Panetta could say in response was: "Apparently, man.'
'What we're seeing with the actions of this administration is out of control, and Republicans aren't doing anything to reign it in. Tempers are flaring,' Texas Democrat Julie Johnson said of the mood on the House floor.
Padilla began shouting over Noem before he was forcibly removed from the room by multiple guards and placed in handcuffs.
Noem was speaking and the Q&A portion of the meeting had not started when Padilla started heckling and interrupting, saying: 'I'm Senator Alex Padilla, and I have questions for the secretary...'
As he was escorted out of the room during the tense interaction, he said: 'The fact of the matter is half a dozen violent criminals that you're rotating on your…. hands off!'
Startling footage shared by Padilla's team showed that he was forced to his knees, then onto the ground, outside of the room - and was put in handcuffs by the FBI.
Padilla, who is the son of Mexican immigrants, slammed the Trump administration and their treatment of migrants after the ordeal at his own blistering press conference.
'If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they're doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community,' he said in the impassioned statement.
Trump's immigration chief Noem was in Los Angeles to discuss the Trump Administration's response to the anti-ICE protests and immigration raids in the area.
'We are not going away. We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialist and the burdensome leadership that this governor and mayor have placed on this country and what they've tried to insert in this city,' she said as Padilla interrupted.
Noem condemned the senator for the disruption and noted that he had not even asked for a meeting with her.
'I think everybody in America would agree that that was inappropriate,' she said.
Sen. Padilla's team released a statement shortly after insisting he was at the press conference to perform his congressional duties.
'Senator Padilla is currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform Congressional oversight of the federal government's operations in Los Angeles and across California,' the statement said.
'He was in the federal building to receive a briefing with General Guillot and was listening to Secretary Noem's press conference.
'He tried to ask the Secretary a question, and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information.'
After the press conference, Noem addressed the incident while standing outside the federal building.
'If he would have reached out and identified himself and let us know who he was and wanted to talk. His approach was something I don't think was appropriate at all. But the conversation was great and we are going to communicate,' she said.
'We exchanged phone numbers and we are going to continue to talk. People need to identify themselves before lunging during press conferences.'
DHS said on X that Secret Service agents believed Padilla was an attacker and they acted accordingly.
'Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,' the agency said.
'Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers' repeated commands. @SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.
'Secretary Noem met with Senator Padilla after and held a 15 minute meeting.'
Noem called Padilla's statement about the incident 'ridiculous' and told Fox News she believed he wanted to cause a scene.
'The way that he acted was completely inappropriate. It wasn't becoming of a U.S. Senator or official and perhaps he wanted the scene,' she said.
'This man burst into a room and started advancing towards the podium, interrupting an opening statement and, elevating his voice and shouting questions.
'People tried to stop him from interrupting the press conference, but he refused and continued to lunge towards the podium.'
The DHS secretary told the outlet she met with the senator for about 10 to 15 minutes afterwards and the two even exchanged phone numbers.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned Padilla's detention on social media.
'Sen. Alex Padilla is one of the most decent people I know. This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now,' he said.
'If they can handcuff a U.S. Senator for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you.'
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who Padilla replaced in the senate when she was elected VP, said, 'United States Senator Alex Padilla was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration's actions in Southern California. This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power.'
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters, 'It's horrible. It is shocking at every level. It's not the America I know.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
The longest-serving legislative leader in US history will be sentenced on corruption charges
Michael Madigan's stunning political collapse will culminate Friday when the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history is sentenced on federal bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud convictions tied to a scheme to push legislation in exchange for jobs and contracts for his associates. The former Illinois House speaker was convicted in February on 10 of 23 counts in a remarkable corruption trial that lasted four months. The case churned through 60 witnesses and mountains of documents, photographs and taped conversations. Madigan was in court Friday afternoon before U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey, who will determine his sentence. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 12 1/2-year prison term. Madigan's attorneys are seeking probation, contending the government's sentence would 'condemn an 83-year-old man to die behind bars for crimes that enriched him not one penny.' During a legislative career that spanned a half-century, Madigan served nearly four decades as speaker, the longest on record for a U.S. legislator. Combined with more than 20 years as chairperson of the Illinois Democratic Party, he set much of the state's political agenda while handpicking candidates for political office. More often than not, he also controlled political mapmaking, drawing lines to favor his party. Meanwhile, prosecutors said, the Chicago Democrat built a private legal career that allowed him to amass a net worth of $40 million. Madigan was convicted on 10 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and other charges for ensuring approval of legislation favorable to utility giant ComEd in exchange for kickbacks and jobs and contracts for loyalists, including a Chicago alderman seeking a paid job on a state board after retiring from government. The jury deadlocked on six counts, including an overarching racketeering conspiracy charge, and acquitted him on seven others. 'Madigan's criminal activity spanned nearly a decade and was particularly egregious because it involved efforts to enrich himself — both by maintaining his political power by securing do-nothing jobs for his political allies and by attempting to line his own pockets with legal business,' prosecutors wrote in a court filing. 'In so doing, Madigan served his own personal interests and not the interests of Illinoisans.' Defense lawyers called the government's recommended sentence 'draconian' and, given Madigan's age, a life sentence. They asked Blakey to consider the totality of Madigan's life and work and the need to care for his wife in requesting a sentence of five years' probation, with one year of home confinement, a requirement to perform community service and a 'reasonable fine.' In a video submitted to the court, Madigan's wife, Shirley, asks for a sentence of probation, explaining that Madigan is her caregiver and she would have to seek outside help if he is imprisoned. And, she says, 'I'm a part of him.' 'There's some days I keep him going,' Shirley Madigan says on the video. 'He keeps me going sometimes, too, but I think that the impact that I have on him has been much, much larger.' The court received more than 200 letters of support for Madigan, many from constituents, friends, leaders of nonprofits and other organizations that interact with the state. Some noted asking him for help just once. Most lauded him for dedication, integrity or a personal touch. 'Mike Madigan is a good man who has selflessly done an exceptional amount of good for others,' his lawyers wrote in a separate filing. 'He is widely respected for his dedication to honesty and integrity.' Tried alongside Madigan was his former legislative colleague and longtime confidant, Michael McClain. The jury couldn't reach a decision on any of the six counts against McClain. He was convicted, though, in a separate trial over the ComEd conspiracy last year.
The Guardian
40 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Hundreds of US Marines arrive in LA as large protests are planned in California and across US
Federal troops continued to be on duty in the streets of Los Angeles on Friday after a series of court rulings, and more arrived, with large protests planned in California and across the country this weekend against the Trump administration's aggressive anti-immigration raids and a big military parade in Washington DC. Around 200 US Marines arrived in LA on Friday morning. This followed Donald Trump's extraordinary decision to deploy National Guard troops to LA last weekend, over the objections of the governor of California, Gavin Newsom. The marines were to take over protecting a federal building, US Army Maj Gen Scott Sherman, who commands the task force of marines and national guardsmen, said. The streets had been mostly calm overnight going into Friday morning, marking the seventh day of protests across various areas and the third day of an overnight curfew in a small part of the huge downtown area. Sporadic demonstrations have also taken place in cities including New York, Chicago, Seattle and Austin on several days in the last week against Trump's pushing of his mass deportation agenda, undertaken by targeting undocumented communities in the US interior. And millions more are expected to turn out to protest on Saturday at roughly 2,000 sites nationwide in a demonstration dubbed 'No Kings', against growing opposition to what critics see as Trump taking actions on the brink of authoritarianism. The mass protests are timed to coincide with the US president's controversial military parade in Washington DC to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the formation of the US army, and coincidentally his 79th birthday. The protests in Los Angeles and subsequent deployment of California's National Guard by Trump, over the furious objections of Newsom, is a move that had not happened in the US in at least half a century, sparking a legal battle between the president and Newsom. Late on Thursday, a federal judge ruled that the federal deployment of troops by the president to aid in civilian US law enforcement in LA should be blocked. The administration swiftly appealed and a higher court paused the restraining order until Tuesday, when it will hear the case. Judge Charles Breyer's ruling in Newsom v Trump stated that Trump had unlawfully bypassed congressionally mandated procedures. Newsom in an interview with the New York Times podcast on Thursday called Trump a 'stone cold liar' for claiming he had discussed a federal deployment with the governor by telephone. Democrats and advocacy groups view Trump's deployment as an abuse of power aimed at suppressing free speech and supporting aggressive anti-immigration policies. Trump's use of the troops follows earlier, unfulfilled threats during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in his first administration, when he considered, but ultimately declined, to deploy federal troops and has since expressed regret about not cracking down more forcefully. The president has continuously defended his decision to send troops to LA claiming without any evidence that the city would have been 'obliterated' and 'burned to the ground' had he not initiated the deployment. In Washington, Saturday's parade is billed as a patriotic celebration, while critics argue it is more about Trump's personal brand and ego than promoting national unity. Organizers of No Kings protests have avoided planning a demonstration in the nation's capital, in a bid to draw attention away from tanks, armored vehicles, troops and aircraft on display. 'The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,' read a statement from the No Kings protest movement. The parade will culminate on Saturday evening with a procession of 6,600 soldiers, dozens of tanks, and a live broadcast message from an astronaut in space. Inspired by a Bastille Day parade Trump witnessed in France in 2017, but with strong echoes of the kind of regular displays under authoritarian regimes such as Russia, North Korea and China, the event is expected to cost up to $45m, sources told NBC News. Meanwhile, some members and family members of the National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles have expressed discomfort with their mission, feeling it drags them into a politically charged domestic power struggle. 'The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn't the kind of national security we signed up for,' said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which advocates for military families. 'Families are scared not just for their loved ones' safety, although that's a big concern, but also for what their service is being used to justify.' Chris Purdy of the Chamberlain Network echoed those concerns: 'Morale is not great, is the quote I keep hearing,' he said, citing multiple National Guard members who contacted his organization. Amid the ongoing legal and political fallout, arrests have continued, although sporadic incidents of early looting have subsided. Jose Manuel Mojica, a 30-year-old father of four, was charged with assaulting a federal officer during a protest in Paramount, a community in southern Los Angeles County. And on Thursday, Alex Padilla, a Democratic US senator for California and vocal critic of the Trump administration's immigration polices, was forcibly removed and handcuffed as he attempted to ask a question at a press conference held by Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, in Los Angeles. In video taken of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Padilla is seen being restrained and removed from the room by Secret Service and FBI agents. He warned that if this was how he was dealt with it spoke ill for ordinary civilians being summarily arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). Most Republican national lawmakers criticized Padilla, although some Republican senators condemned his treatment, while Democrats overwhelmingly applauded his challenge to the administration and were appalled at his removal. Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles contributed reporting.
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Disturbing theory emerges after Austin police pulled 19 bodies from a lake and sparked serial killer rumors
A new theory has emerged about why 19 bodies have ended up in the lake running through one of America's most popular and trendy cities. The rising death toll in Austin, Texas, has fueled speculation about a possible serial killer targeting victims and dumping them in Lady Bird Lake - the body of water that cuts through the heart of the city just south of the bustling Rainey Street entertainment district.
