Alex Padilla is a U.S. Senator from California. John Kiriakou says video of a June 2025 incident clearly shows Padilla identifying himself — “I’m U.S. Senator Alex Padilla” — before being taken to the ground and handcuffed anyway. Kiriakou says DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s public claim that Padilla had failed to identify himself was false.[1]
Kiriakou notes that because Padilla was present at the event in the course of his official duties as a senator, he has congressional immunity and cannot be charged with any crime — making the White House’s subsequently stated interest in prosecuting him legally baseless. He says the administration ultimately backed off its account, including a separate, also-false claim that Padilla had “charged into the room.”[2]