Hakeem Jeffries Calls 'Manhandling Of Senator Alex Padilla' A 'Complete And Total Disgrace'

Forbes Breaking News

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) spoke with reporters on Thursday about the removal of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) from a press briefing held by Sec. Kristi Noem.

Transcript

00:00I think all of us are still in some state of shock over the video that we

00:10just watched a half an hour ago of one of the most respected leaders in all of

00:15the Congress, Alex Padilla, a person of just unquestioned integrity, someone who

00:21has brought great compassion for the people of our state and country to the

00:26U.S. Senate, to see him abused that way, to see him brought down to the ground, to

00:31see him go to a press conference to ask questions, which is not only his right but

00:36his obligation, and to be mishandled that way. This is an assault not only on the

00:43person of Alex Padilla, but it's an assault on our democracy. This is a

00:49administration that has no respect for our democracy, for our institutions, for the

00:55separation of powers, for a co-equal branch of government. It has no respect for

01:00the people of California. This is a president who would call in military

01:04troops against the wishes of our own government when it would only inflame the

01:12matter. And now this, and now this terrible abuse of this wonderful public

01:18servant. One of the things that I treasure about the U.S. Senate is you can come from

01:25anywhere, you can start from anywhere, and you can end up in the U.S. Senate. And no

01:30one better embodies that part of the American dream and the dream of our

01:35democracy than Alex Padilla. That's right. And there he is going to this press

01:40conference to to advocate for those who are most vulnerable to ask the questions

01:47that need to be answered. Like, what is the basis under the law or constitution to,

01:54over the objection of the governor, to federalize the guard to be used against

01:59our own people in California? What is the lawful basis, if any, for that action? And if

02:05not, what should the consequences be? I understand why Secretary Noem doesn't

02:11want to answer these questions because she can't. But it is Alex Padilla's job to

02:17ask those questions and to demand those answers. And we are proud of him. We are

02:22proud of him. We are proud of his courage and his steadfastness and his vigorous

02:28representation of the people of California. And we cherish his voice and we

02:32will not let this stand. Thank you.

02:36The Trump administration is a disgrace. Secretary Noem is a disgrace. The man

02:45handling of Senator Alex Padilla was a complete and total disgrace. Senator

02:52Padilla is a good man, a decent man, a patriotic man and a hardworking man. He's

03:00the very embodiment of what a United States Senator should represent in this great

03:05country of ours anchored in the principle of self government. He was at that press

03:10conference doing his job, asking questions about what is taking place in

03:16California, the state that he represents and on behalf of the American people. And he

03:23was recklessly and aggressively manhandled. That was unacceptable. It was

03:29unconscionable. It was unpatriotic. It's on American. And every single person who was

03:36involved in manhandling Senator Padilla should be held accountable to the full

03:41extent of the law. So this is not going to end until there is accountability and

03:46until the Trump administration changes its behavior. This administration is not

03:51about law and order. It's about lawlessness and disorder. And that's what we've seen

03:56from day one of the Trump administration. When Donald Trump pardoned hundreds of

04:03violent felons who brutally assaulted the Capitol right behind us. Day one this

04:09administration has been about lawlessness and disorder and we see a continuing

04:14escalation of escalation of it. And we're going to make sure that we push back

04:20aggressively in every way possible to hold those individuals accountable who

04:28without justification manhandled Senator Alex Padilla. I'm here today as House

04:35Democratic leader to make it clear we stand with Senator Padilla. We stand with the

04:39California delegation. We stand with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and we stand

04:44with the American people.

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