Reacting to Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) being manhandled by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's security team when he tried to ask her a question on Thursday, DC insider Maria Teresa Kumar suggested Noem's comments afterward show she was called on the carpet by the White House.
During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," the head of Voto Latino pointed out that the normally defiant Noem later tried to put out the firestorm resulting from video of the U.S. senator being forced to the floor and handcuffed when she appeared on Fox News after.
Speaking with Fox, Noem stated incorrectly that Padilla never identified himself before reporting that she met with him afterward for ten to fifteen minutes to clear the air and listen to his concerns.
Speaking to the MSNBC hosts, Kumar expressed outrage at Padilla's treatment, and then added, "You have Secretary Noem, who is charged with 250,000 agents around the country, and she cannot de-escalate a basic press conference. Instead, it has to go to the maximum where they have to handcuff a sitting senator. That actually goes to a broader issue: is she the right person for this job? Does she understand that right now? "
"I believe that there is someone from the White House that called her and said, 'You know what? You really messed up right now. You have to go now sit down and talk to the senator.'" she suggested.
"I have to tell you that I have known Alex Padilla for a very long time. In his character, he is someone who is staid. This is perhaps the most excited I've ever seen him," she added before pointing out, "He is just doing his job."
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