Senator Alex Padilla Blasts JD Vance for ‘Petty’ Misidentification, Demands Seriousness

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) has strongly condemned Vice President JD Vance for erroneously referring to him as “José” during a press conference in Los Angeles, calling the incident “petty and unserious.” The misidentification occurred Friday during Vance’s visit to defend the Trump administration’s controversial military response to ongoing immigration protests in the city.

Speaking on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Saturday, Senator Padilla, the first Latino elected to the U.S. Senate from California, emphasized, “He knows my name.” He further stated that Vance’s comments were “just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is.”

Vice President Vance, who served alongside Padilla in the Senate, made the remark while discussing immigration issues and the recent unrest in Los Angeles. “I was hoping José Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater, and that’s all it is,” Vance was quoted saying, in an apparent jab at Senator Padilla’s recent forceful removal from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was quick to react on social media platform X, asserting, “Calling him ‘Jose Padilla’ is not an accident.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also voiced her disapproval, stating, “Mr. Vice President, how dare you disrespect Senator Alex Padilla like that? You serve with him in the Senate right now. You know him.”

A spokesperson for Senator Padilla reiterated that Vance, as a former colleague, “knows better” and should be more focused on de-escalating tensions in Los Angeles.

The incident comes amidst heightened political tensions surrounding immigration policy and a recent confrontation where Senator Padilla was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a press conference after attempting to ask a question to Secretary Noem. Democrats have widely condemned that incident and called for an investigation, while the Trump administration has defended the actions of Noem’s security detail, accusing Padilla of engaging in “political theater.”