Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) criticized Vice President Vance’s statements as completely false following his trip to Los Angeles on Friday to back the Marines present during the anti-ICE demonstrations.
Bass remarked, “He arrives, makes claims about situations that are not occurring in LA, then disrespects a senator he currently serves with as president of the Senate. It was challenging listening to him describe our city’s situation with what amounts to complete untruths.”
During his appearance before federal, state, and local officials in Los Angeles, Vance defended President Trump’s choice to deploy the National Guard and Marines to suppress last week’s anti-immigration protests.
During his remarks, Vance insinuated that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Bass were encouraging the protestors and preventing law enforcement from doing their jobs.
He referred to the protests as “riots” and said it was necessary to send the National Guard as the violence was uncontrollable by local law enforcement.
The vice president came to LA after a three-judge federal appeals court panel unanimously ruled on Thursday that Trump was allowed to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles.
Newsom sued Trump over his use of the National Guard, as he was not consulted prior to their deployment.
During Vance’s remarks he also misnamed Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), calling him Jose Padilla.
“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,” Vance said. “I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater.”
Padilla was forcibly removed from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press briefing last week after trying to ask a question. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed the senator did not identify himself. Video footage showed he did identify himself when making remarks. The scene created a scandal among Democrats who fear a normalization of violence against elected officials.
“He knows my name,” Padilla told MSNBC on Saturday. “Look, sadly, it’s just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is. But he’s the vice president of the United States. You think he’d take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.”
Democratic allies of Padilla say it was done intentionally and accuse the vice president of blatant disrespect.
