Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) appears on CNN’s “State of the Union” show with Dana Bash on Sunday to do a spin job about his incident at DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s briefing last week. 

As we reported, Padilla entered Noem’s press briefing and came up the side of the room, speaking loudly, interrupting her, at a time of heightened threats against the DHS. It was not even time yet for questions from the reporters who were supposed to be there. He didn’t identify himself in the scuffle until agents were pushing him back, yet he then continued pushing against them. 

California Senator Padilla denies that he was looking for a viral moment this week when he pushed his way toward DHS Secretary Noem during her press conference, and says he was simply wanting to ask a question.

The only problem with his answer? Secretary Noem was not taking… pic.twitter.com/MSIEvJU0WQ

— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) June 15, 2025

He says he was there for another briefing from “Northern Command.” So he was supposed to be getting a briefing from the military, but then he went to crash Noem’s briefing. But no, he wasn’t going for the “viral moment,” not at all. If he wasn’t going for the viral moment, he would have waited for the appropriate time for questions.