ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith criticized Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla on Thursday for his disruptive behavior during a press conference held by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
Padilla interrupted Noem’s remarks, prompting security to forcibly remove him from the room; the senator ended up face down on the ground in handcuffs just outside. Smith, on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” suggested Padilla’s behavior was inappropriate and beneath the standard expected of a United States senator.
“Can Kristi Noem speak? Could you have waited till she finished to ask your questions — to shout your questions?” Smith asked. “You are a senator, right? You couldn’t wait? So that was just you out of control because you were just losing it, huh?”
“You — a United States senator — couldn’t compose yourself and let the head of Homeland Security finish her thoughts before you asked a question?” he continued. “Couldn’t do that, huh? Couldn’t do it, huh?”
Later in the show, Smith answered one of his own questions, saying, “We all know you could have waited for her to finish speaking.” He also clarified that although he agreed with Padilla’s removal, he did not support the handcuffing, calling it “very disrespectful” due to his status as a senator.
“They had no business putting cuffs on Senator Padilla. Escorting him out of the room — even forcibly — was within bounds. The secretary for Homeland Security was speaking. You let her finish,” he said. “You don’t want to let her finish? Then hey, they definitely should have removed you from the room. That is it. They didn’t need to put you on the ground. They didn’t need to handcuff you. All they needed to do was keep you out of the room.”
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Noem was speaking about the riots taking place in Los Angeles before Padilla began shouting a question at her. Security quickly rushed to Padilla, telling him to put his hands up.
After pushing Padilla out of the conference room, the senator was told to lie on his stomach as police placed him in handcuffs.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin criticized Padilla for his behavior in an X post following the incident.
“Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,” McLaughlin wrote.
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“Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands,” she continued. “@SecretService thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately.”
McLaughlin added that Padilla and Noem subsequently convened for a 15-minute meeting.
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
