Dem forcibly removed & handcuffed at LA protests news conference as he tried to confront Trump official over ICE arrests
A CALIFORNIA Democrat has been thrown out of an LA protests news conference and handcuffed in a dramatic scene as he tried to confront Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Wild video shows the moment cops shoved Sen. Alex Padilla out of the room and forced him to the ground.
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"I have questions for the secretary," Padilla could be heard saying in the stunning footage.
"Because a fact of the matter is, a half a dozen violent criminals that are rotating on your ..." he said before being cut off and pushed out of the room.
Padilla was shoved into a nearby hallway and told to put his hands behind his back before being handcuffed.
His office said he's no longer detained.
Noem was asked about the outburst during the live news conference and she said Padilla did not ask for a meeting with her.
'I think everybody in America would agree that that was inappropriate,' she said.
Padilla's office claimed he was just trying to ask the secretary a question.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was quick to capitalize on the drama, writing, "If they can handcuff a U.S. Senator for asking a question, imagine what they will do to you."
President Donald Trump and Newsom have engaged in a war of words since Trump intervened and sent federal troops to the protests in downtown Los Angeles against Newsom's wishes.
Newsom attacked Trump's mental fitness - echoing the harsh criticism former President Joe Biden faced about his ability to lead as he finished his time in the White House.
Newsom's attacks come after Trump claimed he spoke to Newsom on the phone earlier this week - but the governor insisted they last spoke to each other on Friday.
"It honestly starts to disturb me on another level - maybe he actually believes he said those things and he's not all there," Newsom said on Thursday's episode of the New York Times' political podcast The Daily.
He told Fox station KTTV, "He is not the same person that I dealt with just four years ago, and he's incapable of even a train of thought. He's lost it."
Trump has repeatedly blasted his West Coast rival as "incompetent" and blamed him for "third world lawlessness" in the protests.
In response to Newsom daring border czar Tom Homan to arrest him, Trump said on Monday he 'would do it if I were Tom.'
The president has now deployed 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marine Corps to Los Angeles to try and restore peace.
While the troops aren't allowed to arrest citizens, they can temporarily detain them until cops arrive to arrest them.
ICE has been accused of having a heavy-handed approach to Trump's immigration policy including wrongly detaining US citizens.
The Trump administration has made it clear that despite the nationwide protests, they will continue to rid the US of illegal immigrant offenders.
Following California's lead, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he was deploying over 7,000 troops across the state after protests turned tense in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio over the weekend.
Trump has now vowed to crack down on the growing demonstrations with more force than ever.
The president is believed to be readying ICE tactical units to storm New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, and northern Virginia, MSNBC reports.
Most demonstrations against Trump's deportation program have remained largely peaceful.
But speaking at the 250th anniversary of the US Army on Tuesday, Trump said, "The mob in Los Angeles will not deter us."
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9th Jun 2025, 07:14 By Georgie English
What is the US National Guard?
THE US National Guard is a reserve military force made up of part-time service members who typically hold civilian jobs but can be activated for federal or state duty.
Each state, territory, and the District of Columbia has its own National Guard, which can be mobilized by the state governor or the President.
Can the President call the National Guard for local matters?
Yes, but with limits.
Normally, governors deploy their state's National Guard to handle local emergencies like natural disasters, protests, or civil unrest.
The President can federalize the National Guard under specific laws, such as the Insurrection Act.
This allows them to respond to domestic unrest if it's deemed beyond the capacity of local or state authorities.
When federalized, National Guard troops operate under presidential command rather than the governor's.
While it's unusual, a president can deploy the National Guard into a state without a governor's consent if certain legal thresholds are met.
These typically involve threats to federal property, national security, or widespread breakdowns in public order.
However, such actions are often politically and legally controversial.
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Trump vs California
Despite the carnage flooding the streets, California's government has said they have the situation under control.
Governor Gavin Newsom even accused Trump of "inflaming tensions" by deploying the National Guard.
The pair have a long history of heated disputes over policy.
Newsom formerly requested Trump remove the guard members, which he called a "serious breach of state sovereignty".
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass added the arrival of troops is a "dangerous escalation".
She said: "We do not want to play in to the [Trump] administration's hands."
"What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos provoked by the administration."
Trump fired back at California's government as he called them "incompetent".
Newsom and Trump reportedly spoke for 40 minutes by phone on Saturday, though details of their conversation have not been disclosed.
The deployment of troops marks the first time in six decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
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