In a dramatic confrontation that has gripped Washington, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California was pushed to the ground, handcuffed, and forcibly removed from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday. The incident has sparked a fierce political row, with Republican leaders criticising the senator’s actions while Democrats have condemned the treatment of a sitting senator as an attack on democratic norms.The chaos erupted during Noem’s press briefing about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts in Los Angeles, which have already drawn sharp protests across California. Padilla walked into the room and shouted questions regarding the recent immigration raids, saying he had received no answers from Homeland Security officials.“I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he called out, before Secret Service agents grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him out of the room. A scuffle followed in the hallway where Padilla, 52, was forced to his knees and restrained by several officers. “Hands off!” he shouted during the altercation.Padilla was briefly handcuffed, but he was not detained. He later met privately with Noem for about 15 minutes. “We exchanged phone numbers and agreed to continue to talk — that is the way it should be in this country,” Noem later said. “I wish he would’ve acted that way in the beginning rather than creating a scene.”Trump officials hit back: ‘Childish’ and ‘unhinged’White House officials were quick to defend the conduct of federal officers, portraying Padilla’s actions as reckless and inappropriate. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, “Democrat Senator Alex Padilla should be ashamed of his childish behaviour today. He crashed the middle of an official press conference… and refused to leave the room and follow the directions of law enforcement officers.”White House communications director Steven Cheung also weighed in, saying, “Thank you to all media outlets for playing the [Padilla’s] freak out. Shows the public what a complete lunatic Padilla is.”DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin doubled down, writing on X that Padilla had shown “incredibly aggressive behaviour” and had not identified himself before moving towards Noem. “Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on… Secret Service agents thought he was an attacker and officers acted appropriately,” she added.Noem told Fox News that while she appreciated the eventual conversation with Padilla, she believed the senator’s entry into the press event amounted to “political theatre.”House Speaker Mike Johnson accused Padilla of “charging” at Noem and suggesting the Senate should issue a formal censure. “You don’t charge a sitting Cabinet secretary,” he said. “There needs to be a message sent that that is not how we’re going to act.”Democrats outraged: ‘Shameful and stunning abuse of power’Democratic leaders reacted with fury, calling the incident an assault on democratic norms and a disgraceful abuse of power.“If this is how this administration responds to a Senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farmworkers, to cooks, and to day labourers,” Padilla said.Former US vice president Kamala Harris posted, “This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “We need immediate answers to what the hell went on.”On the Senate floor, Senator Patty Murray said, “It is unacceptable that a United States senator, in his elected home state… went to ask a question and was brutally thrown to the ground and handcuffed.”California Governor Gavin Newsom called Padilla “one of the most decent people I know,” adding, “This is outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful. Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now.”Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the incident “abhorrent,” while fellow California Senator Adam Schiff said the actions taken were “an assault on democracy.”Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus demanded an investigation, calling the treatment “unacceptable.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the actions were “un-American” and insisted those responsible be “held accountable to the full extent of the law.”Democratic lawmakers later marched to the offices of Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson in protest. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “This assault on Senator Padilla today was an assault on freedom of speech in our country.”