Mary Trump, a vocal critic and estranged niece of President Donald Trump, warned in a Thursday video that the country is getting to a “darker and darker place,” at an “unnerving” pace.
Newsweek has reached out to Mary Trump for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
Federal immigration enforcement operations sparked protests across California for last weekend. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out raids in Paramount, Los Angeles County, following similar actions at several locations throughout other parts of the city on Friday.
The Trump administration has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history and has conducted numerous ICE raids, some of which have swept up individuals with proper documentation. In response to protests counter the raiding, Trump announced the deployment of thousands of National Guards and hundreds of Marines.
California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem‘s news conference on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Mary Trump has been outspoken against her uncle for years, and in 2020, published Too Much and Never Enough, a tell-all book about Trump and their family. In it, she says the president is “utterly incapable of leading this country and it’s dangerous to allow him to do so.”
What To Know
As Noem spoke at a scheduled news conference in L.A., Padilla, a California Democrat, was taken from the room while saying he had questions to ask her. Video footage from the incident showed that Padilla was pushed to the ground and handcuffed outside the door.
“I’m Senator Alex Padilla, and I have questions for the secretary,” Padilla was heard saying as he was escorted out of the room. Noem continued her remarks, addressing an audience of reporters and law enforcement officials.
Video footage from the incident showed that Padilla was pushed to the ground and handcuffed outside the door. Noem stopped speaking for a brief moment during the commotion, then immediately continued.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle have condemned the interaction, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, telling reporters the incident is “shocking.”
“I’ve seen that one clip. It’s horrible. It is shocking at every level. It’s not the America I know,” she said.
In a Thursday video, Mary Trump referenced Padilla’s removal, saying, “We’ve been getting to a darker and darker place in this country for quite some time now.”
She continued that since Trump’s second inauguration on January 20, “the rapidity with which America has been sliding down that slippery slope is a little unnerving. And the last week alone has made it clear that we are not turning this around anytime soon.”
Trump announced the deployment of the National Guard and Marines without the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom, a rare assertion of federal authority over a state. The administration continues to clash with the state and city’s Democratic leadership, with both sides trading criticism.
In reference to the ongoing ICE raids and Padilla’s removal, Mary Trump said, “Trump and his regime are making it apparent to anybody who is paying attention that whether they are allowed to or not, whether it’s constitutional or not, whether it’s legal or not, they will detain, manhandle, and arrest anybody who has the audacity to question them, try to get in their way, or protest them.”
Noem addressed the incident afterward, telling Fox News, “He was never arrested. Nobody knew who he was when he came into the room creating a scene. He was removed from the room and yes, they started to put handcuffs on him. When he finally identified himself … that was stopped.”
She added, “Basically, they are encroaching upon our first amendment rights—free speech and to protest peacefully,” concluding that, “this basically is what authoritarianism looks like, when the party of power starts arresting the opposition.”
“No Kings” protests, organized in part by the 50501 Movement (50 protests, 50 states, one movement) and other groups, are countering a military parade scheduled to take place in the nation’s capital on June 14, coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday, the Army’s 250th anniversary, and Flag Day.
Organizers of the protests are calling for June 14 to be a “nationwide day of defiance” and are calling for both people to join in the protests as well as eat up tickets to the military parade.
What People Are Saying
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, on X: “United States Senator Alex Padilla was representing the millions of Californians who are demanding answers to this Administration’s actions in Southern California. This is a shameful and stunning abuse of power.”
Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, wrote on X: “With regard to the incident in LA this afternoon, the Senator in question was not wearing a security pin and physically resisted law enforcement when confronted. Our FBI personnel acted completely appropriately while assisting Secret Service and we are grateful for their professionalism and service.”
Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, on X: “Senator Alex Padilla was fulfilling his Congressional oversight duties when he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed. This is no isolated instance; this is a pattern of behavior by the Trump administration. There is simply no justification for this abuse of authority.”
Padilla said in a statement after he was removed: “If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farmers, to cooks, to day-laborers throughout the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country.”
The Department of Homeland Security posted on X on Thursday: “Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theater and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem.”
What Happens Next
The incident has intensified scrutiny of the DHS and has raised fresh concerns about civil liberties amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts.
Organizers are calling for people to attend demonstrations being held across the country or to organize their own events. The president has repeatedly expressed his excitement for the parade this weekend.
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