L'Affaire Padilla was clearly a stunt, intended to create outrage that the Trump administration knew no limits in its authority and was perfectly willing to use force against its political opponents. 

As I wrote earlier, it is part of their strategy to define responses to the chaos, riots, and provocations as proof that Trump is a vicious authoritarian. 

I think that strategy will work with some useful idiots, but that it will likely turn out to be a bust with the larger public. 

Oh I can imagine pic.twitter.com/0GMLhzi5U4

— Magills (@magills_) June 12, 2025

As the coordinated faux outrage was expressed by Democrats in the House, Senate, and occasionally in the media, the responses have a canned quality that is actually more than a little amusing. Bitching, moaning, marching, along with lots of complaints that Trump is using ICE as his personal Gestapo. 

Sen. Padilla thrown to the ground, manhandled, brutally taken down, handcuffed

It's disgusting
Reeks of totalitarianism
Un-American
Not what democracies do

Sen. Padilla was in that building to ask questions of what's going on in California, doing his duty to his constituents… https://t.co/3IW2o1SX6H

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 12, 2025

Sen. Padilla thrown to the ground, manhandled, brutally taken down, handcuffed

It's disgusting

Reeks of totalitarianism

Un-American

Not what democracies do

Sen. Padilla was in that building to ask questions of what's going on in California, doing his duty to his constituents

We need answers now

Sheldon Whitehouse's comparison of Padilla to civil rights icons is particularly amusing. The guy belongs to a "Whites Only" club. 

Ladies and gentlemen: Sheldon "Whites Only" Whitehouse. pic.twitter.com/CFhvdyPDuJ

— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) June 13, 2025

Presented without comment. https://t.co/NUtrCRHbeU pic.twitter.com/kIDdAc9FUd

— Conor Coutts (@ConorCoutts) June 13, 2025

Obviously Padilla is only doing a job that white Americans don't want to do...

Can I charge at you when you’re talking? Are your CHP security guys gonna be cool with that? I mean I’m an American citizen so I outrank the politician who works for me. https://t.co/8T0m7nzKPx

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) June 12, 2025

You can find a slew of similar messages from Congressmen, as well as staged videos of marches to Senator Thune's office demanding answers. Arresting your political opponents is unprecedented! (Padilla was not arrested, actually, but he was handcuffed.) Democrats would never send the FBI after...Trump. 

Nothing to see here, just Alex Padilla pushing and shoving law enforcement officers as he tries to force his way up to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. When you disobey law enforcement, don’t be surprised if they put you on the ground and cuff you.

No one is above the law!! pic.twitter.com/JifCeuJhe9

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 12, 2025

But a funny thing happened. Most people weren't buying it. When media folks asked security analysts what they thought, the response was pretty universal: that Noem's security team was the right thing to do. Padilla was an unidentified screaming man lunging at the Secretary of Homeland Security, assaulting officers as clearly shown in the videos, and the situation had "all the hallmarks," to use a Democrat phrase, of a potentially violent situation. 

This analysis from @joshscampbell on the Padilla incident is spot on.

The security officials did their jobs. pic.twitter.com/BVBpEFD3Uv

— AG (@AGHamilton29) June 12, 2025

Republicans played this well, too. Rather than acting all appalled, they basically made fun of Padilla and didn't concede an inch on the appropriateness of the security response. Padilla went in there to provoke a response, and he certainly got one. 

Sen. Padilla didn’t want answers—he wanted airtime. Shoving past security for a viral moment is a stunt, not leadership. If he cared about solutions, he’d have asked for a meeting. But like most Democrats, he just wants the spotlight. – Rep. @ByronDonalds pic.twitter.com/f4Y6aAXrse

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) June 12, 2025

Stephen A. Smith--who is looking more and more like a potential candidate for President, has been lighting up Democrats. 

🚨NEW: Stephen A. Smith GOES OFF on Dem Sen. Alex Padilla over behavior at Kristi Noem press conference🚨

"You — a United States senator — couldn't compose yourself and let the head of Homeland Security finish her thoughts before you asked a question?"

"Couldn't do that, huh?"… pic.twitter.com/L5tf46pP3k

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) June 13, 2025

The last line of defense is Pravda Media sob stories--most of which are appearing in print, not visual media. It is newspapers that are writing stories, making Padilla look like a victim because they can do so, avoiding pesky visuals showing Padilla was in the wrong. 

Padilla had a rough childhood! Padilla is Brown! This is outrageous!

The fact that both Padilla’s parents are from Mexico matters because his Mexican heritage shapes his politics and subsequently influences the U.S. government.

He routinely talks about being a “proud son of immigrants from Mexico” and how “we Latinos must insist on our presence… https://t.co/pIZARZqUdp pic.twitter.com/Amh8b5uWIF

— Adam Johnston (@ConquestTheory) June 13, 2025

You have to love the Los Angeles Times' take: this is a prelude to an American holocaust.

What a joke.

People see right through this thinly veiled propaganda.

Source: Los Angeles Times pic.twitter.com/LKKJrTFYDV

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 12, 2025

So far, the joke seems to be on Democrats. They wanted an explosive story, but what they got was a squib. And they pulled the stunt on the same day that Israel conducted strikes on Iran, meaning that events overtook their goal to dominate the news cycle. 

Laughable NYTimes puff piece on
CRAZED DEMOCRAT Senator Padilla, who, dressed like a janitor w/ no Identification, pushed security/interrupted a DHS press conference.

In other words--he was behaving like a Democrat.

Please play sad violin music before you start reading. pic.twitter.com/YuGqEQ97Jm

— Joe Dan Gorman (@JoeDanMedia) June 13, 2025

Liberals will be appropriately outraged, of course, but only if they already believe the "Trump is acting like a King" propaganda. It doesn't look like L'Affaire Padilla will break through into the larger public's consciousness. 

What was supposed to be a symbol of the deep Constitutional crisis America faces looks more like a Jussie Smollett move to elevate an anonymous Senator. That's pretty funny. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.