Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Democrats are fundraising off of his removal from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference on Thursday.
Padilla, along with fellow Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and the Democratic National Committee, blasted out fundraising emails on Friday citing the incident.
“If that’s what they do to a United States Senator with a question, imagine what they do to farm workers, day laborers, cooks, and the other nonviolent immigrants they are targeting in California and across the country,” Padilla’s fundraising note read, echoing his remarks from Thursday following the incident.
Schiff touted Padilla as “one of the most decent people I know” in his fundraising appeal, while the DNC warned the incident “isn’t normal and are steps toward authoritarianism.”
The effort comes as Democrats unite behind Padilla following his removal from the press conference and broadly condemn the Trump administration’s handling of those critical of the president’s immigration policies.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the incident involving Padilla “reeks of totalitarianism” and called for an investigation into the matter, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called federal agent’s forcible removal and handcuffing of the senator “outrageous, dictatorial and shameful.”
On Thursday, video surfaced of Padila interrupting Noem’s press conference and approaching her. Padilla is heard in the video identifying himself by name and his title as he moved toward the front of the conference room trying to ask a question. He was then grabbed by agents, who pushed him backward, shoved him through a set of double doors, and forced him onto the ground and handcuffed him.
The White House and Department of Homeland Security have blamed Padilla for the incident.
“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,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson. “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.”
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