California Sen. Alex Padilla is getting plenty of mileage out of his scuffle with the Secret Service and federal authorities in Los Angeles Thursday. Padilla's Senate and campaign X.com accounts posted a total of seven outraged videos in the first 24 hours after the altercation. Viral videos of the incident show a Secret Service agent dragging a fuming Padilla out of a press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and he identifies himself as a senator only as he's being pushed out the door. The agent then forces Padilla to the ground, while two agents handcuff him. Padilla, however, wasn't arrested. Within the hour, agents released him with no charges
After immigration raids sparked protests, downtown LA descended into chaos over the weekend. Right-leaning citizen journalist and political commentator Cam Higby was on the ground capturing some of the most dangerous (and viral) moments, including people burning Waymos and hurling rocks at police near City Hall. In this interview, Cam recalls the sequence of events and tries to make sense of it all " including why, exactly, the Waymos were targeted, the role of police (or lack thereof), and how various factions (ranging from responsible to anarchical) shaped the national narrative. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.
Even the initial story about the FBI targeting Catholics for suspicion and surveillance was bad enough. In December 2023, the House Judiciary Committee published a detailed report about how the FBI specifically identified traditional Catholics as potential domestic terror threats. The House report revealed the shocking finding that the Richmond, Virginia, office of the FBI suspected traditional Catholics "as violent extremists and proposed opportunities for the FBI to infiltrate Catholic churches as a form of threat mitigation.
More than 15 years ago, I signed up to serve my country, packed my bags, and left home for Fort Jackson, S.C., to begin Army basic training. The values I gained"discipline, duty, honor"have shaped me into the husband, father and citizen I am today. Choosing to serve was one of the most meaningful decisions of my life. That's why the news that the U.S. Army has met its fiscal 2025 recruiting contract goals four months early"welcoming more than 61,000 new recruits"is personal. It's also something all Americans should be proud of
Winston Churchill once warned that "appeasement is feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last." When it comes to the crocodile of censorship, history is strewn with defenders who later became digestives. Censorship produces an insatiable appetite for greater and greater speech limits, and today's censorship supporters often become tomorrow's censored subjects. This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stopped feeding the crocodile.
Pretty much every presser I've watched has followed the same pattern.
The public official gives opening remarks. Then opens up for questions and calls on reporters, one by one and answers questions and sometimes takes follow ups. It's very rare to have some random show up, aggressively move toward the podium, without established credentials (like his security pin - if I were to barge in there and claim to be a Senator should I just get immediate access?). All of the other reporters were following protocol. Waiting for her to finish her remarks and then trying to get called on for a question. Apparently, because (D), Noem should have immediately stopped speaking and Padilla should have been allowed unfettered PHYSICAL access (he outweighs her by roughly 100 pounds) and he should have been allowed to take control of the entire presser and her security detail needed to just back away and let him do whatever he wanted.
This is insane.