US Vice President JD Vance sparked controversy by accusing California authorities of being involved in recent violent immigration riots and referring to Democratic Senator Alex Padilla as “Jose Padilla,” a name linked with a convicted terrorist.
Vance accused Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom of provoking violence by designating Los Angeles as a “sanctuary city” while speaking on a tour of federal immigration enforcement operations during his visit to Los Angeles.“[They] have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,” he stated.
Vance also made fun of Alex Padilla, the first Latino US senator from California, who was just taken into custody during a demonstration. Jose Padilla, a convicted terrorist, was the moniker the Vice President used to allude to Senator Padilla. “I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question. I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theatre. And that’s all it is,” the US VP remarked. “They want to go back to their far-left groups and say, Look, I stood up against border enforcement,” the Associated Press reported him as saying.
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Senator Padilla’s spokeswoman reacts to Vance’s remarks
In a strong response, Senator Padilla’s spokesperson emphasized that Padilla and Vance had previously served together. Spokesman Tess Oswald stated, “He should be more focused on demilitarising our city than taking cheap shots.”
Vance’s comment, according to Governor Newsom, was “not an accident,” implying that the name of well-known terrorist “Jose Padilla” was purposefully dropped. “The Vice President’s claim is categorically false,” he asserted.
Vance also faced backlash from Mayor Bass, who called his remarks “utter nonsense” and a “stunt.”
‘He knows my name’, says Padilla
Padilla blasted Vance for calling him “Jose”, stating that he was forcibly removed from last week’s Department of Homeland Security news conference since he wanted to create “theater” amid the city’s turmoil triggered by ICE operations.
During an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday, Padilla stated, “He knows my name. He knows my name.”
“Look, sadly, it’s just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is,” he added. “He’s the vice president of the United States. You think he’d take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.
Vance spokesperson gives clarification
Later, a representative for Vance asserted that it was just a “mix-up between two people who have broken the law.”
Federal immigration sweeps began on June 6 and President Trump’s deployment of hundreds of troops and Marines sparked the demonstrations.
Trump, however, insisted that Los Angeles “would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years” if the federal government didn’t step in.
On X, Newsom encouraged Vance to concentrate on California’s wildfire victims. “We are counting on you, Mr. Vice President,” he stated.
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