Vice President JD Vance referred to Senator Alex Padilla as “Jose Padilla” during a visit to Los Angeles on Friday, just days after Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference while attempting to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about immigration.
“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater,” Vance told the press.
Vance’s remark has since gone viral on social media, sparking reactions.
One person wrote on X, “Everything is in one side and JD Vance smile one side. Meme guys start shipping few masterpieces of JD please.”
Another wrote, “Vance delivered that with a smile and a jab perfect way to call out political theater without breaking a sweat.”
A third person commented, “To be fair, no one knows who Alex is, but everyone knows Jose Padilla the famous criminal.”
Another user wrote, “It’s hilarious because Padilla kept saying who he was and that he’s a senator and Vance playing into that by calling him the wrong name on purpose.”
Also Read: Donald Trump said Democrat Senator Alex Padilla ‘looked like an illegal,’ claims biographer
Padilla Removed from Noem’s Press Conference
On June 13, Sen. Padilla was forcibly removed and handcuffed at a media briefing in Los Angeles led by Kristi Noem on immigration. According to video footage, Padilla was escorted into a hallway, shoved face-first to the ground, and handcuffed.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Padilla did not properly identify himself and alleged he lunged toward Secretary Noem.
Padilla disputes the account. He said he had been waiting for a separate scheduled briefing with military officials when he learned Noem was in the same building and decided to attend her media event.
“I was there peacefully,” he told reporters. “At one point, I had a question, and so I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room, I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed.”
