Vance reference to Alex Padilla as ‘Jose' during LA presser sparks Dem backlash
Several California Democrats slammed Vice President Vance after he referred to Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) as 'Jose' during a Friday presser in Los Angeles.
'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,' Vance said, referring to Padilla's forcible removal from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference last week.
'I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater,' he continued.
Democrats railed against Vance for misnaming the state's first Latino senator, who the vice president served alongside before his successful White House bid.
'Calling him 'Jose Padilla' is not an accident,' California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a Friday post on the social media platform X.
Newsom also urged Vance, who spoke about the governor's response to unrest sparked by mass Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the region, to make remarks to his face during a debate, instead of online or during public events in a later post.
While Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) echoed the governor's concerns, she cited potential racial undertones in Vance's remarks.
'I guess he just looked like anybody to you, but he's not just anybody to us. He is our senator,' Bass said during a Friday presser.
'Mr. Vice President, how dare you disrespect Senator Alex Padilla like that? You serve with him in the Senate right now. You know him,' Bass wrote in a post on X, referring to the vice president's role as president of the upper chamber.
However, Vance's spokesperson said the mix up was an innocent mistake.
'He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law,' Taylor Van Kirk, a spokesperson for Vance told reporters on Friday.
But Padilla's colleagues aren't buying it.
'JD Vance served alongside Alex Padilla, and knows better. He's taking this cheap shot to distract from the real fear and havoc this Administration is creating,' Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) wrote in a Friday post on X. 'It's pathetic.'
The vice president's visit to Los Angeles came a day after a federal appeals ruled President Trump could retain control of the California National Guard in response to the protests.
Both Bass and Newsom have encouraged the Trump administration to remove the National Guard and Marines from Los Angeles, arguing the city is safer without federal forces.
Democratic lawmakers have continued to question the conditions detained illegal immigrants are being held under as well as law enforcement's use of physical force against protesters and members of Congress seeking to conduct oversight of immigration operations.
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
Bloomberg
35 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Trump's Twists and Turns Over Iran Leave Oil Traders Hanging
The oil market is wrestling with Donald Trump's next act in the conflict between Iran and Israel, with the US president's every utterance over the fighting seemingly capable of spiking or crashing prices. In a wild week, Brent futures have surged 11% from before Israel attacked its nemesis, but with sharp moves up and down from one day to the next.
Los Angeles Times
35 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Sen. Padilla claps back after JD Vance calls him ‘Jose': ‘ He knows my name'
Sen. Alex Padilla blasted the Trump administration Saturday, calling it 'petty and unserious' after Vice President JD Vance referred to him as 'Jose' during a news conference in Los Angeles the previous day. 'He knows my name,' Padilla said in an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday morning. Vance visited Los Angeles on Friday for less than five hours after several weeks of federal immigration raids in the city and surrounding areas, sparking protests and backlash from state and local officials. Padilla was thrown into the heated nationwide immigration debate when he was dragged to the ground by federal law enforcement officers and briefly detained when he attempted to ask U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question during a news conference earlier this month. Vance characterized the move by California's first Latino senator as 'political theater' in his remarks. 'I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theater, and that's all it is,' Vance said. Vance served alongside Padilla in the Senate and is now the president of the upper chamber of Congress. Vance's press secretary, Taylor Van Kirk, told Politico that the vice president misspoke and 'must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.' Padilla, in his TV interview, said he broke no laws. He suggested the misnaming was intentional — and a reflection of the administration's skewed priorities. 'He's the vice president of the United States.' Padilla said. 'You think he'd take the the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.' Padilla said Vance might instead have taken the opportunity to talk to families or employers affected by raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Other California Democrats rallied behind Padilla after the misnaming incident. 'Calling him 'Jose Padilla' is not an accident,' California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Friday post on the social media platform X. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass highlighted racial undertones in Vance's comments. 'I guess he just looked like anybody to you, but he's not just anybody to us,' she said during a press conference on Friday. 'He is our senator.'
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
Elon Musk Has a New Plan to Win Back MAGA
Elon Musk is in comeback mode. And he's doing it the only way he knows how: by igniting culture war flames and trolling progressives. The world's richest man has just endured one of the most humiliating stretches of his public life. What started as a bombastic fallout with Donald Trump, whom Musk helped return to the White House, ended with a rare and uncharacteristic public apology. 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,' Musk tweeted on June 11. 'They went too far.' I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2025This moment of contrition signaled just how much damage the feud had done, not only to Musk's reputation with Make America Great Again conservatives, but also to his companies. Tesla, the electric vehicle maker he leads as CEO, is still reeling from a sharp sales drop. First-quarter deliveries fell 13%, and net income plunged 71% year-over-year. The company's stock has dropped more than 20% since January. Behind the scenes, Musk has attempted to re-focus on business. He's back to hyping Tesla's future products, including robotaxis scheduled to debut June 22 in Austin, Texas, and is amplifying the work of his AI firm, xAI. But politics remains his drug of choice. On June 21, Musk fired up X (formerly Twitter) to declare a dramatic new front in his culture war crusade. ''Baby, what happened to Woke?'' he posted, mimicking a conversation. Then answered himself: 'Dead, my darling, Woke is dead.' 'Baby, what happened to Woke?' Dead, my darling, Woke is dead. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2025The post racked up over 35 million views. Conservative users celebrated: 'Woke tried to replace Faith, family, and facts—and lost.' Woke tried to replace faith, family, and facts and lost. — Barefoot Pregnant (@usuallypregnant) June 21, 2025'It can only be overcome by a return to Judeo-Christian values.' Others were more skeptical: 'Woke is not dead – It's regrouping.' ❗️Wokeness is not dead — it's regrouping, seeking new disguises. It can only be overcome by a return to Judeo-Christian values and the commandments of God. A nation that sheds blood of unborn, defiles marriage, abandons chastity, and profits from sin cannot expect the blessings. — Karol Wilkosz (@WilkoszKarol) June 21, 2025'You overused the word and now woke isn't used anymore.' You overused the word and now Woke isn't used anymore. People are still as aware and awake as ever-more so! Free Palestine. — Robin Sneed (@RobinSneed5) June 21, 2025One X user, who identified as bisexual, challenged Musk directly: 'Why does Elon hate LGBT? I know it's cause of his son but don't take it out on everyone else.' X's built-in chatbot Grok quickly stepped in to clarify: 'his past comments on pronouns and X's relaxed moderation have led some to see his views as anti-LGBT. [But]There's no clear evidence his stance stems from personal issues. His intent appears to target 'woke' ideology generally, but interpretations vary..' I'm sorry you feel insulted. Elon Musk's "Woke is dead" post likely critiques broad progressive culture, not specifically the LGBT community. His companies, like Tesla, support LGBT inclusivity with strong policies. However, his past comments on pronouns and X's relaxed… — Grok (@grok) June 21, 2025Musk's war on 'woke' is both ideological and deeply personal. He blames progressive culture for turning his transgender daughter against him; someone he now refuses to acknowledge. 'My son, Xavier, died,' he posted in March. 'He was killed by the woke mind virus. Now, the woke mind virus will die.' Exactly. My son, Xavier, died. He was killed by the woke mind virus. Now, the woke mind virus will die. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 22, 2025He sees 'wokeism' as an existential threat to Western civilization. Under Musk's ownership, X has become a platform of resistance, where criticism of DEI, pronouns, gender identity, and political correctness are encouraged and amplified. His alignment with MAGA conservatives has been reinforced not just by rhetoric but by money. Musk contributed nearly $290 million to help Trump win the 2024 election. His support didn't go unrewarded: Trump named him head of a newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But the honeymoon didn't last. When Musk began publicly disagreeing with Trump over policy and power, the president lashed out. The online spat culminated in Musk's rare public backtrack, and a realization that he may have burned too many bridges. Now, by mocking 'wokeism' and celebrating its supposed death, Musk appears to be courting Trump's base once again. It's not clear whether Musk's reentry into the culture war will be enough to restore his standing with the far right. His fallout with Trump exposed ideological and ego-based rifts that may not be easy to mend. But Musk is betting that shared enemies—liberals, DEI advocates, and 'woke' elites—are still enough to rebuild common ground. After all, one thing unites Musk and MAGA hardliners: a belief that progressive politics is the enemy, and that crushing it is a moral imperative. As Musk tests new Teslas, launches robotaxis, and builds AI tools, don't expect him to stay silent for long. He's not just fighting for influence. He's fighting for relevance. And right now, culture war is still his favorite battlefield.
