In her consistent siding with Democrats, Sen. Lisa Murkowski quickly condemned the forcible removal and handcuffing of Sen. Alex Padilla after he disrupted a Department of Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Murkowski called the incident “shocking at every level.”
“I’ve seen that one clip. It’s horrible. It is shocking at every level. It’s not the America I know,” Murkowski said to a reporter on Thursday, reacting to a brief video circulating on social media that shows Padilla being aggressively escorted out by security while he struggled against them. Murkowski did not hesitate to criticize the law enforcement response.
Padilla, a California Democrat, interrupted the DHS press event to protest recent immigration enforcement actions in his home state. He was ultimately removed by federal officers, put to the ground while struggling to remain upright, and briefly detained. His office later said he was exercising “the right to peaceful dissent.”
Murkowski’s defense stood in stark contrast to comments from other Republicans, who condemned Padilla’s actions as disruptive and inappropriate.
“Alex is normally a thoughtful and well-reasoned member, but when you go into someone else’s press conference to disrupt it… you have to expect a reaction,” said Rep. Darrell Issa of California. “He made an error in judgment. Hopefully, this whole thing blows over. No harm, no foul.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson was more harsh: “What Senator Padilla did was wildly inappropriate,” he said. “Democrats have been defending lawbreakers, and now they are acting like lawbreakers themselves.”
Congressman Byron Donalds said, “Sen. Padilla didn’t want answers—he wanted airtime. Shoving past security for a viral moment is a stunt, not leadership. If he cared about solutions, he’d have asked for a meeting. But like most Democrats, he just wants the spotlight.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also weighed in, stating, “Padilla should be ashamed of his childish behavior today.”
Democrats in Congress have taken to X to post videos and statements condemning the Trump Administration and demanding that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security be impeached or must resign “in shame.”
Just last month, the Justice Department charged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey with assault after she attacked federal officers during the arrest of Newark’s mayor outside an immigration detention facility.
Murkowski’s reaction to Padilla’s removal is unlikely to go unnoticed. But her memoir is coming out this month, and during the lead up to the book’s release, all publicity is good publicity.
