In the Capitol building on Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-GA) spoke with the press about Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), who was detained and handcuffed at a Los Angeles press conference held by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Reports about the incident that led to Padilla’s detainment vary depending on the source.
Republicans including Johnson say the Senator’s behavior was “wildly inappropriate” while Democrats assert that handcuffing a Senator after he identified himself to the security personnel — who pressed the Senator onto the ground — was the inappropriate action.
As seen in the video below, Johnson, repeating the claim that Padilla — with ill intent –aggressively approached Noem, told the press, “You don’t charge a sitting cabinet secretary.”
More than one member of Congress responded by heckling the Speaker as he spoke, including Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-CA), whose angry reaction features prominently in the footage. Another angry voice, off-camera, was heard yelling, “That’s a lie!”
BREAKING: In a stunning moment, Democratic Rep. Sam Liccardo just called out Mike Johnson's lies in the middle of his press conference. This is amazing. pic.twitter.com/VsgqKG2ZhI
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) June 12, 2025
After the press conference, Johnson was approached by a non-heckling Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), and the two spoke calmly and walked together through the National Statuary Hall.
After a tense press conference where Dems were heckling Speaker Johnson over his Padilla comments, Dem Rep. Madeleine Dean confronts Johnson and tells him to tell Trump to turn the temperature down.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 12, 2025
She talked to us after their exchange. pic.twitter.com/pLeVR7qmnm
Dean told the press: “Everyone is inflamed. And agitated. But it starts with the President. [Johnson] said ‘I’m talking to the President.’ What’s going on in LA, that’s so incendiary. And I also said, ‘can you imagine, we’re worried about the senator and taking him down to the ground and arresting him, putting handcuffs on him.’ What’s the message that the President [sent] on day one, when he pardoned everybody who attacked this Capitol and would have killed any one of us? What message does that send about the rule of law and caring about law enforcement?”
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