Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm joined right now by Senator Alex Badia. Senator, thank
you so much for joining us. First question, how are you?
We all watched the video, we saw you taken to
the floor by those agents.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Yeah, look, I'm okay. Been on the phone off and
on with kids, right because my kids, we're travels fast
in this day and age with technology. Make sure they're okay.
But I think most importantly is the outrage that I
hope people feel. If this can happen to a United
States senator for having the audacity to ask a question
(00:33):
of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the same questions for
in requests for information that we've had not just the
last sort of week or so the activity in Los Angeles,
but since the beginning of the administration, then just imagine
what can happen to anybody in the country for that matter.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We heard from you briefly at the press conference after
you came outside of the federal building in Westwood. We've
heard more extensively from Secretary Nome in the Department of
Homeland Security. I want to just tell you a little bit,
because I'm sure this has been a whirlwind about what
they've been saying Secretary of Nomes said that you quote
lunged towards her at this press conference. The Department of
(01:11):
Homeland Security said, the Secret Service believed that you were
an attacker, and the Department of Homeland Security called this
political theater.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
What's your response and what's your version of what happened?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Well, first of all, that's ridiculous, it's to lie, but
part for the course for this administration. Right, So here's
the stage. Like I was in the federal building here
in Los Angeles for a scheduled briefing. Just as when
my colleagues and I had to go all the way
to Quantanamo Bay to begin to get information about that
facility being used as a detention facility. They've been non
(01:44):
responsive to requests for information, and so I had scheduled
they approved a briefing with representatives of the Northern Command
in that federal building. We were there prior to the
ten thirty original appointment dates when we caught win that
Secretary of Homeland Security is going to be down the
hall out of press conference, and our briefing was now
(02:05):
delayed because of that press conference. So since the Secretary
has been non responsive, I figured let me go over
and listen to what she has to say. Maybe we
can glean some information here.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So let me make sure understand that good.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So the whole time, right where, the whole time, I'm
being escorted in this federal building by somebody from the
National Guard, somebody from the FBI. I've gone through a screening.
This is a federal building, and so tell them let's
go listen to the press conference. They escort me over
to that room, and I'm sitting in the back of
the room, behind the cameras, behind the reporters, listening, listening,
And at one point it was just too much to take,
(02:40):
not the first, but the second attack on the political
leadership of California, and this notion that Donald Trump and
Christino have to come in and rescue the people of
Los Angeles from Gavin Newsom and Karen Bassett was too much,
and so I spoke up. I introduced myself and said
I had a question. They said I wasn't wearing my
(03:01):
pant my polo says United States Senate. There was no threat,
there was no lunging. I raised my voice to ask
a question, and it took what maybe half a second
before multiple agents were on me.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
The video clearly shows and you can hear on the audio.
Do you identify yourself as Senator Padilla?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Did you?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
She said you barged into the room or you basically
broke into the room. I'm paraphrasing here. Just set the
record strate on that. Now.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I didn't barge into the room, as I mentioned. I
was in a different conference room, couple doors down the hall.
Let it be not I'd like to go listen to
the press conference. The folks that were escorting me in
the building walk me over. I didn't even open the door.
The door was opened for me, and I spent a
few minutes in the back of the room just listening
in until the rhetoric, the political rhetoric got to be
too much to take, so I spoke.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Up, have you seen the video yet? Well, you can
look here, Senator is have you actually watched it yourself?
When you watch this and let's go through this together,
describe to me what you're seeing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
What's happening here? Again?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, multiple people forced to be removing from the room,
and I was trying to do two things at once,
tried to get my question out while trying not to
lose my balance. They first asked me to get down
on my knees, like growing up where I grew up.
From where I grew up, you know what happens if
you don't obey law enforcement. And so I began to
(04:20):
go on my knees to they scent that they would
let me because they were literally handling me at the
same time. And it went from getting her knees to
flat on the floor, which I tried but wasn't able
to easily because of the folks handling me. They put
handcuffs on me. So, yes, I was handcuffed.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
These are FBI agents. Did they tell you who they were?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
They wouldn't identify themselves, and I kept repeatedly asking themselves
why am I being detained? No answer? Why am I
being detained? No answer? Why am I being detained? No answer?
Then they get me back up on my feet and
we start walking. Don't tell them where we're going?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
You were handcuffed at this point.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Absolutely, am I being let back outside?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I don't know?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Am I being taken to a cell? I don't know.
They were noncommunicative until somebody from I'm sure Secretary Nomes
team figured out I was who I said I was
and finally said, let them.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Go, So they let you go. They took the handcuffs off.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
What happened next, there were reports that you met with
Secretary Nome for fifteen minutes after the press conference was over.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
So this is a little surreal. So they took the
handcuffs off. The person that came over said, well, if
you'd like to meet with the Secretary, you can do
so after the press conference. Over sure, I've been dying
to get information from the apartment for months. I'll take
this opportunity and see what I can glean. Then I
was asked, but the other briefing that you're here for
(05:38):
the previously scheduled briefing, would you still like that briefing?
Of course, that's why we came. That will never happen
because the representatives from the then command left and again
didn't give us an excuse. So hope for another opportunity
to learn from them, Like again, what's the mission of
the National Guard here? What training have? What's normally state
(05:59):
National Guard is now federalized National Guard service women and men.
If they're going to be out in communities, if they're
going to be interfacing with civilians, this is not a
normal job for them, and by the way, they're being
taken away from other critical missions in the state of
California to do this function. Now we hear the Marines
are coming for what purpose? What's the mission? What type
of training preparation have they had?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Did you get answers to any of these questions? None?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
And so again, did have an opportunity to sit with
a Secretary of known for a few minutes? You know,
you think she might have started the meeting with an
apology of what happened. Of course not, And so I
began to ask the question I was trying to ask
in the press conference. For all the touting of the
Trump administration of going after violent criminals, so there's no
(06:45):
disagreement there. If that's all you were doing, there would
be no debate, there would be no discussion. But what's
happening in reality is far different than that, because we
hear story after story after story of non violent migrants
to many are working in very essential jobs for our
economy being rounded up right. The cruelty with which they're
(07:07):
doing this, the increased cruelty with which they're doing this
escalating here Los Angeles over the course of the last week.
You don't need flash bangs. You know, when you're trying
to target one person National Guard over you know, not
at the request of a governor. Hasn't happened since nineteen
sixty five, and so of course they're instigating, trying to
(07:28):
create the response and a reaction from community and will
point to anything to further escalate the situation. It's wrong
and it's counterproductive. I'm still processing what's happened to me.
But to the extent that we have coal, you know,
shed more light on what they're doing and how they're
doing it. The public deserves to be aware to suggest
(07:52):
that they have to come into Los Angeles to restore order. Look, Jacob,
you know Los Angeles, it's a big, spread out city.
Images that we've seen over the course of last week
of some vandalism, some violence, et cetera. That's wrong and
I denounce it. But it's very small and very contained
in a big metropolis of the Los Angeles area. So
(08:13):
the National Guard was not necessary. But folks have responded
to that. It's a Trump administration continuing to escalate. A
couple of days ago, he's saying that things are better
now that the National Guard has shown up. If they
were things were better, why is he now considering sending
in the Marines. They're continuing to escalate. It doesn't have
to be this way.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Can you clarify for a Senator Padilla, you were there
to have this meeting with the Northern Command in charge
of some of the troops that are on the ground
here in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Did you ultimately have that meeting?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Did you ultimately get any answers from Northern Command about
for instance, there's this hearing in the courts today the
state of California is doing the administration over the deployment
of the troops to California. Did you get any indication
one way or another whether Northern Command the military would
respect the outcome of what Judge Bryer says in this
in this court case today.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Well, that was when the questions I had for them,
But unfortunately the briefing never happened, and so we never
gotten answered to that question.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Your colleagues are marching to the office of Leader Thun
to demonstrate on your behalf to call for justice for
what happened to you. But those are your Democratic colleagues.
Have you heard anything from a single Republican member of
the US Senator or the House about what happened to you.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Haven't spoken to my Republican colleagues yet. I will say
there's two that at least in the text message saying
that they denounced what happened. Check U see if I'm okay.
Senator Shikhi from Montana Center Curtis from Utah. But the
point is this, if my colleagues are now at Leader
Thune's office, this is a question I've been asking all
(09:44):
my Republican colleagues since the beginning of Trump's term. When
is enough enough the audacity for how this administration has
gone after their political agenda? You know when I hear
behind closed doors, well, once he gets crosses a certain
we're going to start to rein them in. But they
keep saying to every ask he makes, every nominee he
(10:06):
puts forward, when is enough enough? When they feel no
repercussions for putting a United States Center in handcuffs, for
the audacity to ask a question and to speak up
for fundamental rights and do process, When is enough enough?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
You became emotional when you came outside and spoke after
this happened to you, And I want to make sure
that I tell everybody specifically what it was that you
were talking about. When you teared up, you talked about
farmers and cooks and day laborers. You spoke in Spanish.
I've heard you often speak about your father, who was
a short order cook and your mother, who cleaned homes.
(10:44):
You grew up here in the northeast San Fernando Valley,
a neighborhood called Pacoima.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
You played baseball in high school.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
You went to MIT, and you came back and you
became the leader of the city council, the youngest ever,
first Latino. You went to the State Senate, you became
the Secretary of State of California, and I, a senior,
said under from California, but.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Why is it that?
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Why isn't farmers and cooks and day laborers that put
tears in your eyes?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Because I understand their plight, I understand their struggle. I
understand their sacrifice to just find the American dream, a
good opportunity, maybe a good job, the ability to raise
a family and have the next generation have a little
bit better than you. And so for all the talk
(11:28):
about immigration, you know, the misinformation, disinformation about the invasions
and insurrections to all bs coming from Trump. As I
said before, if all they were going to do is
target violent, dangerous criminals, true threats to our national security.
That'd be one thing. Nobody has a disagreement there. But
(11:48):
what's happening in practice is so many yes, maybe undocumented immigrants,
but who are otherwise law abiding, peaceful, and hardworking. To
think this intimatation changed policy for federal agents to enter schools,
houses of worship, let alone workplaces. If immigrants are that bad,
(12:09):
why is that where you're looking for them? And as
they take a step back and take a deep breath
and get to remind everybody, this is the state of California,
not not only the most populous state in the nation,
the most diverse state in the nation, home to more
immigrants than any state in the nation, mostly documented immigrants,
(12:30):
legal immigrants, but yeah, there's a good number of undocumented immigrants.
But this is also California that's the largest largest economy
of any state in the nation, fourth largest economy in
the world. It's not despite the immigrant population. It's because
of the contributions of so many immigrants as workforce, as consumers,
(12:51):
as entrepreneurs. You know, if your interest is in improving
safety of communities, facilitating thriving communities and economic growth. This
is something to embrace, not to attack. But sadly, Donald
Trump has had it since the first time he walked in,
he came down the escalator at Trump Tower before the
(13:12):
twenty sixteen election.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Your mom and your dad were both immigrants from Mexico.
When you look at the protesters on the streets that
are standing up to you know, they started on Friday
against the ice raids. Now they're out there against the
National Guard and against the Marines. Come into the streets.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Do you see yourself?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Do you see your mom and dad and the protesters
that are out there pushing back against this administration.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah, I see not just families like my but families
like most of the families that I grew up with,
all right, And that was me back in two thousand
and six, during one of the many waves of a
push for the modernization of our immigration laws. That was
me in nineteen ninety four, freshome from college, when we
had Proposition one eighty seven on the ballot here in California,
a precursor to a lot of the Trump anti immigrant rhetoric.
(14:00):
When then Governor Pete Wilson down to the polls up
for reelection chose to play that immigrant scapegoating card. It
was that measure that caused people like my parents, who
had been here literally for decades, with no sense of
urgency to naturalize and become citizens, to finally do so
so that they could register and vote, realizing that while
(14:21):
their past maybe in another country, they were firmly established here,
their future was here, and they ought to assemblate completely.
And it was that measure that got me and so
many of the people in my generation finally involved in
the political process. I think California as a result, is
much different today than it was in nineteen ninety four,
and we're probably doing our part to lead not just
(14:43):
on immigrant rights issues, but access to healthcare issues, quality
of education issues, tackling climate change, protecting reproductive rights in
marriage equality, and so much more. And we're the fourth
largest economy in the world. Again, this is a model,
a recipe, a playbook for other states, if not the
country to follow. Not fear.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Both Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom, who have stood up
on your behalf spoken out on your behalf in the
wake of this happening to you, have talked about how
they believe that this is in some form of test
case for the Trump administration to do this in other places,
in other cities, to ignore the will of the people
and the democracy, the democratically elected representatives of the United
(15:27):
States government.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Do you share that feeling?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Absolutely, And we've been saying so almost on a daily
basis since the escalation, the Trump escalation of last weekend,
whether it's press events, whether it's in committee, whether it's
in floor speeches in the Senate, because if you look
at how the administration has gone about trying to justify
unacceptably in my opinion, but trying to justify the federalization
(15:52):
of the National Guard, the deployment of the National Guard
over the wishes of forget the governor of the mayor
for a second, the sheriff of Los Angeles and the
chief of police of Los Angeles City. The language that
they've used, the mechanism they use are not Los Angeles specific,
and they're not California specific, And they're allowed. If they're
(16:12):
allowed to do this in Los Angeles, they can and
they will do this in any corner of the country.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
You made it a point to encourage people to protest
this Saturday outside of the Federal Building peacefully. Why did
you and it was the last thing that you said
after you came out. You encourage people to go out
and take to the streets as part of these large
scale rallies that have been playing on Los Angeles on
the streets, but also on Saturday scheduled across the nation.
(16:40):
Why did you make that your final thought and parting
words from the Federal Building today?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Because look, I was at the Emergency Operations Center last
night getting the latest brief from Chief McDonald and other
members of the city family, and from what I've heard
from county officials, state officials, and now local officials, things
seem to be quieting somewhat gender course of this week.
But the chatter that's out there is people are getting
(17:05):
ready for a number of protest events this weekend that
coincide with not just the anniversary of the Army, but
this vanity parade in Washington, d c. And so First
Amendment rights are a beautiful thing and they need to
be utilized. There's a lot of passion out there in
some quarters, a lot of fear and anxiety in other quarters,
(17:28):
a lot of outrage in other quarters. It's very patriotic
to channel that and to speak up and to demonstrate it.
Let's do it peacefully because that is our right and
that's how maybe we shift public opinion. But we can't
coward that's what Donald Trump. You wants us to stay
quiet and just stay stay home.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I know you.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
I know you spend your weekends here in Los Angeles.
You're going to be out there this weekend on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
We'll see. We'll see because given the developments of today,
we'll see how folks you're feeling and physically.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
I just want to before we go, you do know,
okay to your hurting, How are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I think that adrenaline is still rushing right now, so
we may not know till till tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Senator Alex Media, thank you so much for joining us here.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Well, thank you for watching, and remember stay updated on
breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app
or watch live on our YouTube channel.
I'm joined right now by Senator Alex Badia. Senator, thank
you so much for joining us. First question, how are you?
We all watched the video, we saw you taken to
the floor by those agents.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Yeah, look, I'm okay. Been on the phone off and
on with kids, right because my kids, we're travels fast
in this day and age with technology. Make sure they're okay.
But I think most importantly is the outrage that I
hope people feel. If this can happen to a United
States senator for having the audacity to ask a question
(00:33):
of the Secretary of Homeland Security, the same questions for
in requests for information that we've had not just the
last sort of week or so the activity in Los Angeles,
but since the beginning of the administration, then just imagine
what can happen to anybody in the country for that matter.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
We heard from you briefly at the press conference after
you came outside of the federal building in Westwood. We've
heard more extensively from Secretary Nome in the Department of
Homeland Security. I want to just tell you a little bit,
because I'm sure this has been a whirlwind about what
they've been saying Secretary of Nomes said that you quote
lunged towards her at this press conference. The Department of
(01:11):
Homeland Security said, the Secret Service believed that you were
an attacker, and the Department of Homeland Security called this
political theater.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
What's your response and what's your version of what happened?
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Well, first of all, that's ridiculous, it's to lie, but
part for the course for this administration. Right, So here's
the stage. Like I was in the federal building here
in Los Angeles for a scheduled briefing. Just as when
my colleagues and I had to go all the way
to Quantanamo Bay to begin to get information about that
facility being used as a detention facility. They've been non
(01:44):
responsive to requests for information, and so I had scheduled
they approved a briefing with representatives of the Northern Command
in that federal building. We were there prior to the
ten thirty original appointment dates when we caught win that
Secretary of Homeland Security is going to be down the
hall out of press conference, and our briefing was now
(02:05):
delayed because of that press conference. So since the Secretary
has been non responsive, I figured let me go over
and listen to what she has to say. Maybe we
can glean some information here.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So let me make sure understand that good.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So the whole time, right where, the whole time, I'm
being escorted in this federal building by somebody from the
National Guard, somebody from the FBI. I've gone through a screening.
This is a federal building, and so tell them let's
go listen to the press conference. They escort me over
to that room, and I'm sitting in the back of
the room, behind the cameras, behind the reporters, listening, listening,
And at one point it was just too much to take,
(02:40):
not the first, but the second attack on the political
leadership of California, and this notion that Donald Trump and
Christino have to come in and rescue the people of
Los Angeles from Gavin Newsom and Karen Bassett was too much,
and so I spoke up. I introduced myself and said
I had a question. They said I wasn't wearing my
(03:01):
pant my polo says United States Senate. There was no threat,
there was no lunging. I raised my voice to ask
a question, and it took what maybe half a second
before multiple agents were on me.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
The video clearly shows and you can hear on the audio.
Do you identify yourself as Senator Padilla?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Did you?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
She said you barged into the room or you basically
broke into the room. I'm paraphrasing here. Just set the
record strate on that. Now.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
I didn't barge into the room, as I mentioned. I
was in a different conference room, couple doors down the hall.
Let it be not I'd like to go listen to
the press conference. The folks that were escorting me in
the building walk me over. I didn't even open the door.
The door was opened for me, and I spent a
few minutes in the back of the room just listening
in until the rhetoric, the political rhetoric got to be
too much to take, so I spoke.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Up, have you seen the video yet? Well, you can
look here, Senator is have you actually watched it yourself?
When you watch this and let's go through this together,
describe to me what you're seeing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
What's happening here? Again?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, multiple people forced to be removing from the room,
and I was trying to do two things at once,
tried to get my question out while trying not to
lose my balance. They first asked me to get down
on my knees, like growing up where I grew up.
From where I grew up, you know what happens if
you don't obey law enforcement. And so I began to
(04:20):
go on my knees to they scent that they would
let me because they were literally handling me at the
same time. And it went from getting her knees to
flat on the floor, which I tried but wasn't able
to easily because of the folks handling me. They put
handcuffs on me. So, yes, I was handcuffed.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
These are FBI agents. Did they tell you who they were?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
They wouldn't identify themselves, and I kept repeatedly asking themselves
why am I being detained? No answer? Why am I
being detained? No answer? Why am I being detained? No answer?
Then they get me back up on my feet and
we start walking. Don't tell them where we're going?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
You were handcuffed at this point.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Absolutely, am I being let back outside?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I don't know?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
Am I being taken to a cell? I don't know.
They were noncommunicative until somebody from I'm sure Secretary Nomes
team figured out I was who I said I was
and finally said, let them.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Go, So they let you go. They took the handcuffs off.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
What happened next, there were reports that you met with
Secretary Nome for fifteen minutes after the press conference was over.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
So this is a little surreal. So they took the
handcuffs off. The person that came over said, well, if
you'd like to meet with the Secretary, you can do
so after the press conference. Over sure, I've been dying
to get information from the apartment for months. I'll take
this opportunity and see what I can glean. Then I
was asked, but the other briefing that you're here for
(05:38):
the previously scheduled briefing, would you still like that briefing?
Of course, that's why we came. That will never happen
because the representatives from the then command left and again
didn't give us an excuse. So hope for another opportunity
to learn from them, Like again, what's the mission of
the National Guard here? What training have? What's normally state
(05:59):
National Guard is now federalized National Guard service women and men.
If they're going to be out in communities, if they're
going to be interfacing with civilians, this is not a
normal job for them, and by the way, they're being
taken away from other critical missions in the state of
California to do this function. Now we hear the Marines
are coming for what purpose? What's the mission? What type
of training preparation have they had?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Did you get answers to any of these questions? None?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
And so again, did have an opportunity to sit with
a Secretary of known for a few minutes? You know,
you think she might have started the meeting with an
apology of what happened. Of course not, And so I
began to ask the question I was trying to ask
in the press conference. For all the touting of the
Trump administration of going after violent criminals, so there's no
(06:45):
disagreement there. If that's all you were doing, there would
be no debate, there would be no discussion. But what's
happening in reality is far different than that, because we
hear story after story after story of non violent migrants
to many are working in very essential jobs for our
economy being rounded up right. The cruelty with which they're
(07:07):
doing this, the increased cruelty with which they're doing this
escalating here Los Angeles over the course of the last week.
You don't need flash bangs. You know, when you're trying
to target one person National Guard over you know, not
at the request of a governor. Hasn't happened since nineteen
sixty five, and so of course they're instigating, trying to
(07:28):
create the response and a reaction from community and will
point to anything to further escalate the situation. It's wrong
and it's counterproductive. I'm still processing what's happened to me.
But to the extent that we have coal, you know,
shed more light on what they're doing and how they're
doing it. The public deserves to be aware to suggest
(07:52):
that they have to come into Los Angeles to restore order. Look, Jacob,
you know Los Angeles, it's a big, spread out city.
Images that we've seen over the course of last week
of some vandalism, some violence, et cetera. That's wrong and
I denounce it. But it's very small and very contained
in a big metropolis of the Los Angeles area. So
(08:13):
the National Guard was not necessary. But folks have responded
to that. It's a Trump administration continuing to escalate. A
couple of days ago, he's saying that things are better
now that the National Guard has shown up. If they
were things were better, why is he now considering sending
in the Marines. They're continuing to escalate. It doesn't have
to be this way.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Can you clarify for a Senator Padilla, you were there
to have this meeting with the Northern Command in charge
of some of the troops that are on the ground
here in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Did you ultimately have that meeting?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Did you ultimately get any answers from Northern Command about
for instance, there's this hearing in the courts today the
state of California is doing the administration over the deployment
of the troops to California. Did you get any indication
one way or another whether Northern Command the military would
respect the outcome of what Judge Bryer says in this
in this court case today.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Well, that was when the questions I had for them,
But unfortunately the briefing never happened, and so we never
gotten answered to that question.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Your colleagues are marching to the office of Leader Thun
to demonstrate on your behalf to call for justice for
what happened to you. But those are your Democratic colleagues.
Have you heard anything from a single Republican member of
the US Senator or the House about what happened to you.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Haven't spoken to my Republican colleagues yet. I will say
there's two that at least in the text message saying
that they denounced what happened. Check U see if I'm okay.
Senator Shikhi from Montana Center Curtis from Utah. But the
point is this, if my colleagues are now at Leader
Thune's office, this is a question I've been asking all
(09:44):
my Republican colleagues since the beginning of Trump's term. When
is enough enough the audacity for how this administration has
gone after their political agenda? You know when I hear
behind closed doors, well, once he gets crosses a certain
we're going to start to rein them in. But they
keep saying to every ask he makes, every nominee he
(10:06):
puts forward, when is enough enough? When they feel no
repercussions for putting a United States Center in handcuffs, for
the audacity to ask a question and to speak up
for fundamental rights and do process, When is enough enough?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
You became emotional when you came outside and spoke after
this happened to you, And I want to make sure
that I tell everybody specifically what it was that you
were talking about. When you teared up, you talked about
farmers and cooks and day laborers. You spoke in Spanish.
I've heard you often speak about your father, who was
a short order cook and your mother, who cleaned homes.
(10:44):
You grew up here in the northeast San Fernando Valley,
a neighborhood called Pacoima.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
You played baseball in high school.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
You went to MIT, and you came back and you
became the leader of the city council, the youngest ever,
first Latino. You went to the State Senate, you became
the Secretary of State of California, and I, a senior,
said under from California, but.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Why is it that?
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Why isn't farmers and cooks and day laborers that put
tears in your eyes?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Because I understand their plight, I understand their struggle. I
understand their sacrifice to just find the American dream, a
good opportunity, maybe a good job, the ability to raise
a family and have the next generation have a little
bit better than you. And so for all the talk
(11:28):
about immigration, you know, the misinformation, disinformation about the invasions
and insurrections to all bs coming from Trump. As I
said before, if all they were going to do is
target violent, dangerous criminals, true threats to our national security.
That'd be one thing. Nobody has a disagreement there. But
(11:48):
what's happening in practice is so many yes, maybe undocumented immigrants,
but who are otherwise law abiding, peaceful, and hardworking. To
think this intimatation changed policy for federal agents to enter schools,
houses of worship, let alone workplaces. If immigrants are that bad,
(12:09):
why is that where you're looking for them? And as
they take a step back and take a deep breath
and get to remind everybody, this is the state of California,
not not only the most populous state in the nation,
the most diverse state in the nation, home to more
immigrants than any state in the nation, mostly documented immigrants,
(12:30):
legal immigrants, but yeah, there's a good number of undocumented immigrants.
But this is also California that's the largest largest economy
of any state in the nation, fourth largest economy in
the world. It's not despite the immigrant population. It's because
of the contributions of so many immigrants as workforce, as consumers,
(12:51):
as entrepreneurs. You know, if your interest is in improving
safety of communities, facilitating thriving communities and economic growth. This
is something to embrace, not to attack. But sadly, Donald
Trump has had it since the first time he walked in,
he came down the escalator at Trump Tower before the
(13:12):
twenty sixteen election.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Your mom and your dad were both immigrants from Mexico.
When you look at the protesters on the streets that
are standing up to you know, they started on Friday
against the ice raids. Now they're out there against the
National Guard and against the Marines. Come into the streets.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Do you see yourself?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Do you see your mom and dad and the protesters
that are out there pushing back against this administration.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah, I see not just families like my but families
like most of the families that I grew up with,
all right, And that was me back in two thousand
and six, during one of the many waves of a
push for the modernization of our immigration laws. That was
me in nineteen ninety four, freshome from college, when we
had Proposition one eighty seven on the ballot here in California,
a precursor to a lot of the Trump anti immigrant rhetoric.
(14:00):
When then Governor Pete Wilson down to the polls up
for reelection chose to play that immigrant scapegoating card. It
was that measure that caused people like my parents, who
had been here literally for decades, with no sense of
urgency to naturalize and become citizens, to finally do so
so that they could register and vote, realizing that while
(14:21):
their past maybe in another country, they were firmly established here,
their future was here, and they ought to assemblate completely.
And it was that measure that got me and so
many of the people in my generation finally involved in
the political process. I think California as a result, is
much different today than it was in nineteen ninety four,
and we're probably doing our part to lead not just
(14:43):
on immigrant rights issues, but access to healthcare issues, quality
of education issues, tackling climate change, protecting reproductive rights in
marriage equality, and so much more. And we're the fourth
largest economy in the world. Again, this is a model,
a recipe, a playbook for other states, if not the
country to follow. Not fear.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Both Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom, who have stood up
on your behalf spoken out on your behalf in the
wake of this happening to you, have talked about how
they believe that this is in some form of test
case for the Trump administration to do this in other places,
in other cities, to ignore the will of the people
and the democracy, the democratically elected representatives of the United
(15:27):
States government.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Do you share that feeling?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Absolutely, And we've been saying so almost on a daily
basis since the escalation, the Trump escalation of last weekend,
whether it's press events, whether it's in committee, whether it's
in floor speeches in the Senate, because if you look
at how the administration has gone about trying to justify
unacceptably in my opinion, but trying to justify the federalization
(15:52):
of the National Guard, the deployment of the National Guard
over the wishes of forget the governor of the mayor
for a second, the sheriff of Los Angeles and the
chief of police of Los Angeles City. The language that
they've used, the mechanism they use are not Los Angeles specific,
and they're not California specific, And they're allowed. If they're
(16:12):
allowed to do this in Los Angeles, they can and
they will do this in any corner of the country.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
You made it a point to encourage people to protest
this Saturday outside of the Federal Building peacefully. Why did
you and it was the last thing that you said
after you came out. You encourage people to go out
and take to the streets as part of these large
scale rallies that have been playing on Los Angeles on
the streets, but also on Saturday scheduled across the nation.
(16:40):
Why did you make that your final thought and parting
words from the Federal Building today?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Because look, I was at the Emergency Operations Center last
night getting the latest brief from Chief McDonald and other
members of the city family, and from what I've heard
from county officials, state officials, and now local officials, things
seem to be quieting somewhat gender course of this week.
But the chatter that's out there is people are getting
(17:05):
ready for a number of protest events this weekend that
coincide with not just the anniversary of the Army, but
this vanity parade in Washington, d c. And so First
Amendment rights are a beautiful thing and they need to
be utilized. There's a lot of passion out there in
some quarters, a lot of fear and anxiety in other quarters,
(17:28):
a lot of outrage in other quarters. It's very patriotic
to channel that and to speak up and to demonstrate it.
Let's do it peacefully because that is our right and
that's how maybe we shift public opinion. But we can't
coward that's what Donald Trump. You wants us to stay
quiet and just stay stay home.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I know you.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
I know you spend your weekends here in Los Angeles.
You're going to be out there this weekend on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
We'll see. We'll see because given the developments of today,
we'll see how folks you're feeling and physically.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
I just want to before we go, you do know,
okay to your hurting, How are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I think that adrenaline is still rushing right now, so
we may not know till till tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Senator Alex Media, thank you so much for joining us here.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Well, thank you for watching, and remember stay updated on
breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app
or watch live on our YouTube channel.
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