The California Democrat interrupted an event for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem amid protests over the administration's immigration crackdown

Democrats and Republicans alike were stunned on Thursday when California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's news conference in Los Angeles. The Context Padilla was removed from Noem's press conference as he shouted that he wanted to ask her questions amid the government's response to ongoing demonstrations in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the area.

The confrontation was caught on video by dozens of journalists and later took the internet by storm at the sight of a U.S. senator being taken down to the ground by federal agents

Bay Area Republican strategist Matt Shupe described Padilla’s attempt to abruptly question Noem “pure political theatrics.”