Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign as Democrats widen their attacks on the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
Noem was in Los Angeles for a press conference to address the anti-ICE riots.
During the presser, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) disrupted the DHS chief.
He was detained and forcibly removed from the press conference.
The Trump administration says Padilla did not identify himself.
The senator forced security to intervene when he stormed in and “lunged” towards Noem, causing a scene.
Padilla also aggressively resisted removal, which ultimately led to his arrest.
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But Democrats dispute this, calling his expulsion an affront to democracy.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that Secret Service agents thought Padilla posed a threat after he ignored “repeated commands” to back away.
Noem later met with Padilla in private to discuss his concerns.
“I wish he would’ve acted that way in the beginning rather than creating a scene,” she said in a social media post.
Still, Democrats have raised an outcry over Padilla’s treatment.
The response comes as Democrats ramp up attacks on Trump’s immigration agenda.
Democrats have blasted Trump’s response to the violent riots in Los Angeles as an “authoritarian” overreach.
California’s Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, is suing Trump over his deployment of the National Guard to control the unrest.
In a similar vein, Democrats are invoking democracy as they claim Padilla was targeted to silence dissent against the administration.
Schiff, a notorious Trump critic, says he is “disgusted” by the video of Padilla being detained.
He argues that Noem should step aside.
Schiff didn’t clarify what Noem did to warrant her resignation, however.
“Kristi Noem should never have been appointed to that office,” Schiff told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“She should resign from that office.
“There ought to be an investigation of the conduct of those officers.”
Padilla had “every right to go into that room and demand answers,” Schiff added.
“That is what a senator does, and for him to get that kind of abusive treatment, every senator who works in this Capitol should be offended by this and outraged by this.”
While Democrats focus on the Trump administration’s purported misdeeds, the White House says Schiff’s anger is misplaced.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said:
“Padilla stormed a press conference, without wearing his Senate pin or previously identifying himself to security, yelled, and lunged toward Secretary Noem.”
“Padilla didn’t want answers; he wanted attention,” she added.
“Padilla embarrassed himself and his constituents with this immature, theater-kid stunt — but it’s telling that Democrats are more riled up about Padilla than they are about the violent riots and assaults on law enforcement in LA.”
