Senator Alex Padilla of California gave a fiery speech on the Senate floor, strongly criticizing President Trump as a tyrant whose administration is abusing its power. Padilla’s emotional speech came after he was recently forced out of a Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles, where he had been trying to get answers about why military troops were being sent to the city.
He said that while the country has dealt with conflict and struggle throughout its history, never before has a president acted like a dictator. Axios quotes him as saying, “Throughout this country’s history we’ve had conflict. We’ve had tumult. But we’ve never had a tyrant as a commander-in-chief…” and was surrounded by “yes men and under-qualified attack dogs.”
Padilla’s words rang through the building, “Colleagues, how may Americans in our nation’s history have marched, have protested, have shed blood, even lost their lives, to protect our rights? How many Americans have served in wars overseas to protect our freedoms here at home? And how many Americans in the year 2025 see a vindictive president on a tour of retribution unrestrained by the majority of this separate and co-equal branch of government and wonder if it’s worth it to stand up or to speak out?”
Senator Padilla calls for unity against Trump
Padilla’s strong reaction was driven by what he saw as a series of actions by the Trump administration that went against American values. This included the president’s choice to send military forces to Los Angeles following protests supporting immigrants. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s controversial remarks made Padilla even angrier. Noem had said that the military was in Los Angeles to “liberate” the city from its Democratic governor and mayor.
Padilla said, “Let that fundamentally un-American mission statement sink in. Are we truly prepared to live in a country where the president can deploy the armed forces to decide which duly elected governors and mayors should be allowed to lead their constituents?”
The situation that led to Padilla’s speech was made worse by the Trump administration’s treatment of Democrats who were looking into immigration detention and deportation policies. Several well-known Democratic officials had been arrested or charged for investigating or protesting these policies.
For example, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was running for mayor and already calling Trump out on siphoning FEMA funding, was taken into custody by federal agents at an immigration court. Also, Representative LaMonica McIver of New Jersey was charged after visiting an ICE detention center, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested during the same incident. These events show a clear pattern of tension between the administration and those trying to hold it accountable or protest its immigration policies.
