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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said in a new podcast interview that she “broke down in tears” seeing California Sen. Alex Padilla’s forcible removal from a Department of Homeland Security press conference in June.
The Democratic firebrand was a guest on comedian Hasan Minhaj’s podcast posted Wednesday, where she reacted to the viral incident.
“I had no warning whatsoever. And so I see they’re playing a loop of what happened to Senator Padilla. And I literally just broke down in tears and started crying,” Crockett said as she recounted seeing the video playing on television at the time.
“It’s hard for me to imagine, even just looking at Sen. Padilla. This is the first Latino senator that the state of California has ever had,” she continued. “He’s the senior senator in the state… and then there’s no respect. Not a modicum of respect for him, nor his position nor his humanity.”
She clarified that she didn’t think anyone should have “ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] take you down to the ground” because “you have the audacity” to exercise free speech.
“It tells you how sinister this administration is,” Crockett continued.
During a DHS press conference with Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on June 12, Padilla entered the room and interrupted the Homeland Security Secretary as she was giving prepared remarks. Videos of the incident showed that he did not immediately identify himself, and was quickly swarmed by Secret Service and FBI agents, who bellowed “hands up.”
“I’m Sen. Alex Padilla,” he said amid the scuffle. “I have questions for the secretary.”
He was taken from the room and brought to the floor where he was briefly handcuffed while the press conference continued. Though Noem met with the senator afterward, video of officers bringing Padilla to the ground quickly spread and triggered a media firestorm.
Republicans accused the senator of making a “spectacle” of himself, while over 200 Democrats from both chambers condemned the “unprecedented incident.”
The tense situation occurred as riots raged in Los Angeles in response to ICE raids.
The violent protests and unrest triggered President Donald Trump to mobilize the National Guard in response and for curfews to be enacted in the city.
Fox News’ Alex Miller contributed to this report.
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