Johnson, heckled by Democrats, backs censure for Padilla
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday said Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) should be censured after he tried to approach and question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference in Los Angeles, prompting federal agents to forcibly remove him from the room and handcuff him.
Video of the altercation — captured by reporters on the scene — sent shock waves through the Capitol, with Democrats slamming the way law enforcement personnel handled Padilla, and Republicans condemning the senator's conduct at the media availability.
Pressed on whether Padilla should face consequences, Johnson initially demurred — 'it's not my decision to make, I'm not in that chamber' — before endorsing censure for the California Democrat.
'I think that that behavior at a minimum rises to the level of a censure,' Johnson told reporters. '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 what we're going to act.'
'We're not going to have branches fighting physically and having senators charging Cabinet secretaries,' he added. 'We got to do better and I hope that we will.'
Just eight senators have been censured in history, the most recent being former Sen. David Durenberger (R-Minn.), who was penalized for financial wrongdoing. The punishment requires a simple majority in the Senate.
The comments came during a press availability in the Capitol after House Republicans narrowly passed a bill to claw back $9.4 billion in federal spending for public broadcasting and foreign aid. Johnson staged the gaggle to discuss the legislation but was swarmed with questions about the altercation in Los Angeles.
'I saw the same video, a very brief video, that I think many people did — I think the senator's actions, my view, is it was wildly inappropriate,' he said. 'You don't charge a sitting Cabinet secretary, and everybody can draw their own conclusions, you can see it's a heated debate here.'
As he delivered those remarks, a long line of House Democrats — including many in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and from the California delegation — walked behind the Speaker and heckled him as he spoke.
Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-Calif), who represents the San Francisco Bay area, shouted 'Mike, that's absurd.' Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) yelled 'why don't you stand up for Congress?' Another House Democrat exclaimed 'that's a lie.'
Asked if he would respond to some of the comments, Johnson declined.
'I'm not going to respond to that,' the Speaker said. 'I think the American people can draw their own conclusions. They saw a senator acting like a, wildly inappropriate, I'll leave it at that.'
'What I saw was agents asking him to quiet down so that the secretary could continue her press conference. He refused to do so. What were they supposed to do? They have to restrain someone who is engaging in that kind of behavior. They moved him out of the room,' Johnson later added. 'A sitting member of Congress should not act like that, it is beneath a member of Congress, it is beneath a U.S. senator. They are supposed to lead by example, and that is not a good example.'
Earlier on Thursday, Padilla interrupted a press conference Noem was holding in Los Angeles amid widespread protests against the Trump administration's deportation efforts and against President Trump's mobilizing the National Guard and Marines to protect agents.
Multiple men forcibly removed him from the room and handcuffed him.
'I'm Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,' Padilla is heard saying as he struggled with officers holding him back.
As he was aggressively moved out two double doors the senator can be heard saying 'Hands off!'
'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,' Padilla's office said in a statement immediately after the altercation.
'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.
Updated at 6:21 p.m. EDT
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
12 minutes ago
- CNN
National Portrait Gallery head resigns two weeks after Trump called for her firing
The director of the National Portrait Gallery has resigned from her post, according to a memo sent to Smithsonian employees and obtained by CNN. Kim Sajet's departure from the gallery comes just two weeks after President Donald Trump called for her employment to be terminated in a post on Truth Social, claiming she was 'highly partisan' and a supporter of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that his administration has worked to end. The secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Lonnie Bunch, wrote in the memo that Sajet is stepping down on Friday, writing that she had led the gallery 'with passion and creativity for 12 years.' The New York Times first reported Sajet's resignation. 'Throughout her tenure, she has reimagined and reshaped the impact and storytelling of portraiture,' Bunch said. Sajet was the first woman to serve in the role. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, is part of the Smithsonian Institution, which is the world's largest museum complex, including 21 museums and the National Zoo. Earlier this week, the Smithsonian released a statement emphasizing its 'nonpartisan stature' and saying 'all personnel decisions' are made by its secretary. The institution added that its Board of Regents 'is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence.' Trump has sought to influence cultural and artistic institutions, including the Smithsonian. In March, he signed an executive order putting Vice President JD Vance in charge of stopping government spending on 'exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy.' Vance serves on the institution's board of regents by virtue of his role as vice president. 'This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one,' Sajet said in a statement included in Bunch's memo, which did not mention Trump. 'From the very beginning, my guiding principle has been to put the museum first. Today, I believe that stepping aside is the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart,' she added. Bunch wrote that the undersecretary for museums and culture, Kevin Gover, will take over as acting director of the gallery.
The Hill
12 minutes ago
- The Hill
Comer launches probe into LA protests
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) is launching an investigation into California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) over their handling of demonstrations that broke out in the city this week over President Trump's immigration policies. 'Claims were made that state and local law enforcement had protests under control, however, police were clearly unable to quell the violence in Los Angeles prior to the arrival of the National Guardsmen,' Comer and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), who chairs the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement, wrote in letters to the two California Democrats. 'You have championed California's sanctuary policies, which prevent local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration authorities,' the lawmakers wrote. 'You have also made it clear that you intend to block the objectives of the federal government, and defend aliens, regardless of their immigration status, criminal activity, anti-American views, or incitement to riot.' The two House Republicans requested that Newsom and Bass hand over all documents and communications related to the demonstrations between their two offices, state law enforcement, local law enforcement, and federal entities by June 27. The committee also requested 'all records and communications including video and dispatch logs, regarding the source of weapons (including rocks and cinderblocks) used by rioters.' The House investigation comes after Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who serves as chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched his own investigation into whether the Los Angeles protesters are funded by a local nonprofit. Hawley requested a history of internal communications and financial records from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) to address allegations that they are fueling chaos in California. Newsom, Bass, and Democrats have hit back at Republican criticism of the unrest in Los Angeles, arguing that Trump has provoked violence through his administration's use of deportations and deployment of the National Guard and Marines to the city.
CNBC
12 minutes ago
- CNBC
‘Sovereign AI' is poised to boom under Trump. Wall Street is sizing up a multibillion-dollar market
Global artificial intelligence deals under the Trump administration this year have thrust "sovereign AI" into the limelight, bringing to life a new engine to power the AI investment cycle. While the first major wave of AI was tied to innovation spurred by private sector tech companies, Wall Street is now looking for opportunities that are tied to the growth from the public sector. These so-called sovereign AI deals involve a nation's capabilities to produce and control its own AI infrastructure, data, regulations and networks. The term isn't new, but analysts and investors are taking notice of the trend given U.S. President Donald Trump 's enthusiasm to strike AI deals between domestic tech giants and select foreign allies. In May, the president scrapped Biden-era U.S. chip export restrictions , known as the "AI diffusion rule." That move helped pave the way for Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices to supply chips to Saudi company Humain . "Sovereign AI has risen from the ashes of the Biden AI Diffusion rule to now squarely fit with the Trump Administration's goals to reshape allies in the Middle East around American technology," Ben Reitzes, head of technology research at Melius Research, said in a May note to clients. "Nvidia (along with even AMD and Cisco) now have a spring in their step. … This trend is just starting." Some nations have also released long-term frameworks for their AI public and commercial infrastructure strategies. Canada last December launched the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, while India kicked off its IndiaAI Mission in March 2024 . Further, last year, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators rolled out a road map for artificial intelligence policy, seeking a $32 billion annual investment in AI research and development by 2026. Underpinning this trend is the belief that AI will be a key tool in influencing global power dynamics. "With c. $16tn annual global economic value on the line, AI is becoming key in setting the new world order," Bank of America analyst Haim Israel said in a May note. "It is not just the race for technological development but also for resources, supply chains, regulation and standards that are on the line," the analyst added. "Whoever controls AI could have an advantage, possibly reshaping the geopolitical balance of power." Bank of America estimates the global sovereign AI market could be worth $50 billion annually and lead to an "AI infrastructure opportunity" ranging from $450 billion to $500 billion, according to another May note to clients. The firm estimates that at least $2.5 trillion in funding toward AI investments and partnerships have been announced so far this year. This includes projects from Big Tech, recent pledges from the Middle East and North Africa region, the Stargate project — which is a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank — and efforts in the European Union . "These should increase the rollout of AI and improve the economics," Bank of America's Israel said. A new driver for leading AI stocks To capture this momentum, major tech companies are building out product portfolios tied to sovereign AI, framing the technology as a catalyst for national economic and industry growth, national security enforcement, and scientific discovery. For starters, Cisco Systems is "the sovereign AI player no one talks about," Reitzes said in a June 2 note to clients. In May, the networking giant announced it would partner with Saudi Arabia's Humain to build AI infrastructure. Reitzes thinks investors are overlooking the value of Cisco's recent deals in the Middle East , as he said greater sovereign demand could lead the company to see a pickup in AI product orders and spur a breakout in shares. He reiterated his buy rating and $78 price target on the stock, which suggests nearly 20% upside from Thursday's close. Cisco shares have risen 8% this year. "Middle Eastern sovereign entities are unproven, and the investment figures seem cartoonish — but Cisco may have achieved the equivalent of adding a hyperscaler to its customer list," Reitzes wrote. "The company boasts an excellent longstanding relationship with the CEO of Saudi's HUMAIN and other leaders of UAE and Qatar entities — who are not short on cash." Cisco has seen rapid growth in its switching business, which has attracted demand from cloud data center customers. In the fiscal third quarter , Cisco's AI infrastructure orders exceeded expectations for the second quarter in a row, Reitzes noted. The company is "getting on the right side of AI, which can help expand its multiple," Reitzes said. "With HUMAIN, UAE and Qatar, these AI orders could multiply — and start to catch investors' attention and contribute to an acceleration in switching later in FY26 and FY27." Analysts have also pointed to chipmakers Nvidia and AMD as the obvious leaders of sovereign AI, given their multiyear AI infrastructure partnerships with Humain. AMD signed a deal with Humain: A $10 billion collaboration to deploy 500 megawatts of AI compute capacity over the next five years. The agreement involves AMD's deployment of its Instinct GPUs, EPYC processors and ROCm open software ecosystem. Nvidia said it is deploying 18,000 of its most advanced GB300 Grace Blackwell chips to Humain. On news of the Humain deal, Bank of America's Vivek Arya reiterated his buy ratings on Nvidia and AMD and lifted his price targets on each stock by $10 to $160 and $130, respectively, citing "upside to long-term AI opportunity." Arya called the Humain partnership "an important win" for AMD. "Conceptually this would be the first time for AMD on a 'similar' footing as NVDA in terms of engagement in large projects," the analyst said in a note. "However, NVDA appears to be getting direct awards, while AMD appears to be engaged in a [joint venture]-like approach (with Cisco) with some unspecified level of investments." The trickle-down impact of sovereign AI investments Analysts and investors think that growth in sovereign AI will have knock-on positive effects on other parts of the AI industry — such as foundry, optical and memory technology companies. In addition to Nvidia and AMD, T. Rowe Price portfolio manager Tony Wang called out Arista Networks and Broadcom as strong plays for exposure to AI leaders as well as to companies building projects abroad. "I think Nvidia would be the most standard way that the world will build on. Broadcom is more custom," he said. Wang manages T. Rowe Price's Science & Technology Fund (PRSCX) , and its holdings include Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD and Arista Networks, as of March 31. Bank of America's Arya named Marvell Technology another beneficiary of the trend and is bullish on the semiconductor company's earnings growth over the next several years. Though Wall Street is growing keen on this trend now, tech CEOs have been calling for the push of government-led AI investments since the early innings of the artificial intelligence boom. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna have called for countries to continue building out their sovereign AI capabilities. In 2023, Krishna reportedly advocated for governments to set up large language models, national AI computing centers and common data sets for specific use cases. Huang said on Nvidia's May 28 earnings call that "sovereign AI is a new growth engine for Nvidia." During a fireside chat in 2023, he also highlighted "a recognition that every region and every country needs to build their sovereign AI." The call for greater AI investment goes back even further. In 2021, a group of experts chaired by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned about increasing competition between the U.S. and China "in the AI era" and suggested a government AI investment plan that wound up very similar to the one U.S. lawmakers proposed in 2024.
