As tensions continued to rise in the Middle East, Americans present in the region were forced to contemplate the possibility of further escalation and make plans to get themselves to safety.
Further evidence of the sense of urgency that has been taking hold amid the Israel-Iran conflict came Saturday when it was revealed that the State Department began evacuations of American citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the West Bank, as USA Today reports.
The push to evacuate Americans from the increasingly fraught region was announced by U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.
Taking to X to explain the situation, Huckabee wrote, “The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel.”
The ambassador declared that those interested in departing the area should complete a form provided by the State Department in order to receive assistance, as well as timely updates on the process.
On Saturday, Huckabee added that the embassy team was “working around the clock to assist American citizens wishing to depart.”
The timely nature of the situation appeared to be underscored when the ambassador added, “I strongly encourage you to...take the first option available to you.”
Despite the obvious difficulties of coordinating evacuations amid rising tensions and potential escalation of attacks, Huckabee's steadfast support for President Donald Trump's handling of the situation was clear.
Last week, the ambassador sent a message directly to the president outlining his belief in the administration's approach to the threat posed by Iran and its commitment to Israel, a communication later highlighted by the White House itself on X.
Huckabee stated his belief that “God spared” Trump last July during the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt so that he could go on to become “the most consequential President in a century -- maybe ever.”
Affirming the trust he has in Trump's instincts, Huckabee added, “I believe you will hear from heaven and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else's.”
While helping facilitate the evacuation of Americans from the danger zone, the ambassador told Trump, “You sent me to Israel to be your eyes, ears and voice and to make sure our flag flies above our embassy. My job is to be the last one to leave. I will not abandon this post. Our flag will NOT come down! You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!”
As the evacuation effort in Israel appeared to foreshadow, the Trump administration on Saturday announced that the U.S. military had carried out attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, activating a “large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States.”
Speaking to the nation after the mission, Trump declared the rogue nation's key uranium enrichment sites to have been “completely and totally obliterated,” as Axios noted, in an apparent vindication of Huckabee's expression of utmost confidence, but where things go from here, only time will tell.
President Donald Trump notched another victory after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that he may maintain control of California National Guard troops, Newsmax reported. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and others had sued to keep him from using the military to control anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.
Trump celebrated Thursday's victory on his Truth Social after the ruling. "BIG WIN in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the President's core power to call in the National Guard!" Trump posted.
"The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared, but this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done," Trump said. He called it a "Great Decision for our Country."
Trump was forced to deploy the military to Los Angeles because of the riots against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Local officials seemed unable or unwilling to quell the riots, so Trump sent another 2,000 California National Guard troops prior to Thursday's ruling.
There are currently 4,100 National Guard troops plus another 700 U.S. Marines. The number of protesters has been dwindling, perhaps because of the military presence, but Newsom continues to argue that sending the National Guard provoked the rioters and overstepped Trump's authority.
A lower court initially sided with Newsom's lawsuit against military involvement. Democrat-appointed U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the riots fell "far short" of the threshold of "rebellion" that Trump used to deploy soldiers.
While Newsom was fighting Trump's ability to send in troops, the California governor remained unfazed by the fact that Los Angeles was burning. According to the New York Post, Newsom was spotted at a ritzy Napa Valley wine-tasting and fundraiser as riots got underway.
"I couldn’t believe it. He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence," one witness, who captured a photograph of Newsom at the event, said.
Although the three-judge panel agreed to allow Trump to keep control of the troops through the appeal, the fight is nowhere near over. According to the Associated Press, Breyer has asked both sides to prepare arguments by noon Monday to make their cases about whether Trump is violating the Posse Comitatus Act.
The law makes it illegal for military troops on American soil to do the job of civilian law enforcement. Newsom said in his legal filing that a "violation of the Posse Comitatus Act is imminent, if not already underway," though the judge tabled that issue until now.
Trump believes he has the power to use the federal troops based on Title 10. It allows for deployment when an area "is invaded," if "there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government," or when the president isn't able "to execute the laws of the United States" because of an uprising.
Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance has been making the case for Trump. "The president has a very simple proposal to everybody in every city, every community, every town whether big or small, if you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we’re not going to send in the National Guard because it’s unnecessary," Vance told the press in Los Angeles.
The courts will have the final say, but it appears that Trump's intervention has been effective in the meantime. Newsom is a terrible leader who is comfortable with one of his major cities descending into chaos, which only highlights the contrast between the two leaders.
President Donald Trump has contradicted claims that he has preauthorized a strike against Iran, Just the News reported. The Wall Street Journal published an article on Wednesday, insisting that Trump told aides about a planned attack while in negotiations against nuclear proliferation.
The Journal claimed that while Trump was actively in talks with Tehran while simultaneously giving the green light to launch an attack if things didn't go well for the U.S. The news outlet cited "people familiar with the deliberations" as the source.
Trump took to his Truth Social on Thursday to deny he had any foreknowledge or planning for an attack. "The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!" the president said in his post.
The Wall Street Journal report said that Trump had approved a U.S. attack on Iran as of Tuesday but that he was waiting to see how negotiations would go before striking. Israel began launching its own offensive last week during the talks, but so far, the U.S. hasn't joined.
Trump has made it clear that the option is there, but has not made the final order. When speaking about the matter to reporters on Wednesday, Trump denied that he's made any concrete decisions or movements in that direction.
"I have ideas on what to do but I haven’t made a final—I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due," Trump said. Even as if there were plans are in place, Trump is still attempting to solve the problem with diplomacy.
He has repeatedly called for Iran's unconditional surrender while keeping the door open to a strike if they fail to comply. "I may do it, I may not do it. The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week," Trump added.
Meanwhile, Iran claims it won't negotiate under such a threat. "Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance," a statement from Iran’s United Nations Mission said of Trump.
Trump understands that going to war with another nation is not something that should be taken lightly. Even beyond his instincts, the reality of what's happening as Israel and Iran trade attacks that are increasingly horrific and deadly should be enough to deter him.
According to the New York Post, an Israeli daycare was bombed by Iranian forces Friday. "The building sustained significant damage," the Colel Chabad Daycare Center shared after the strike.
"Miraculously, no children or staff were present — the attack occurred just after closing time on Friday," the business added. Meanwhile, Israeli ballistic missiles took out Iranian military targets, inflicting destruction and bloodshed in this conflict, which makes the prospect of American involvement that much more serious.
It would make sense that Trump has plans on how to proceed with a war that could arguably be necessary if nuclear talks break down. What's not prudent is discussing it with the press beforehand, which could be why Trump is denying it, even if the reports are accurate.
Unlike his predecessors from both sides of the aisle, Trump isn't exactly champing at the bit to get the U.S. into another war. He will do what's necessary to keep Americans safe, but Trump doesn't seem too eager to lob missiles at Iran just yet regardless of what the press says about it.
U.S. Judge Julia Kobick issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday against the Trump administration's requirement for passports to reflect the correct biological sex of the individual, Fox News reported. The regulation originated from President Donald Trump's executive order, which declared that only male and female genders exist.
The decision Tuesday put up a roadblock in President Donald Trump's effort to restore sanity to the gender argument. It was one of his campaign promises, and Trump fulfilled it with an Inauguration Day executive order.
The order applied to the entire federal government and instructed agencies to "recognize two sexes, male and female." The order rightly stated that "these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."
However, the mainstream media and partisans like Kobick object to such reality. Kobick, who was appointed by then-President Joe Biden, framed her objection in the predictable terms of discrimination and hatred despite biology dictating the fact.
The ruling from Kobick blindsided Trump and other rational conservatives, including the Libs of TikTok account on X, formerly Twitter. "Unreal," the user posted on Tuesday, which applies both literally and colloquially to such a ruling.
BREAKING: Julia Kobick, a Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge, has issued an order BLOCKING the Trump administration's policy requiring that individuals use their biological sex (male or female) on their passport.
UNREAL pic.twitter.com/RNjoZ8Di5A
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 17, 2025
In her ruling against the State Department's regulation, Kobrick objected to reality in favor of leftist nonsense. Kobick said she's confident in her decision because the rule is "arbitrary and capricious" and "rooted in irrational prejudice toward transgender Americans."
The judge claimed "transgender and non-binary people who possess passports bearing sex markers that conflict with their gender identity and expression are… significantly more likely to experience psychological distress, suicidality, harassment, discrimination, and violence." Kobrick asserted that "obtaining gender concordant identity documents is part of the standard of care for treating gender dysphoria."
Her reasoning is that people would "experience anxiety and psychological distress or fear for their safety if they were required to travel with passports bearing a sex designation corresponding to their sex assigned at birth, largely because they would effectively ‘out’ themselves every time they presented their passports." This focus on feelings leaves out the impact these policies have on real women.
It's all well and good to worry about how people feel because they are gender confused. However, these policies have far-reaching implications that have a detrimental impact on real women.
Trump's executive order was titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." He rightly asserted that "efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being."
The president further acknowledged that "the erasure of sex in language and policy has a corrosive impact not just on women but on the validity of the entire American system." Trump's order said that such policies open women-only spaces to men, including domestic abuse shelters, bathrooms, changing rooms, etc., and thus threaten their safety.
"This is wrong … Basing Federal policy on truth is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself," Trump's order said.
The judge founded her ruling on feelings instead of facts, and in doing so, neglected women's safety and ignored biology. Kobrick's reversal is a shocking decision, but there is no doubt that Trump and his administration will continue to fight this madness.
A federal judge found Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in civil contempt of court Tuesday after he ignored a temporary restraining order on a state immigration law, Fox News reported. Uthmeier defied the order in support of President Donald Trump's border security agenda.
On April 29, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams had demanded Uthmeier demonstrate "why he should not be held in contempt or sanctioned" for violating the restraining order. She was unmoved by Uthmeier's reasoning and handed down this week's ruling.
Meanwhile, Uthmeier held it up as a badge of honor. "If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it," he posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it. https://t.co/PPrFEapaKv
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) June 17, 2025
In February, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state law to make it a criminal offence for illegal immigrants to enter the Sunshine State. Predictably, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and other pro-illegal immigrant groups sued the state.
The judge ordered a 14-day temporary restraining order on April 4 and extended it for an additional 11 days after the Florida Highway Patrol made several arrests under the law, including one American citizen. In all, about a dozen arrests were made under the new law.
Beginning April 18, Florida law enforcement officials were bound under the temporary restraining order to halt additional arrests. It was up to Uthmeier to notify law enforcement throughout the state, which he did at first.
However, the attorney general apparently had a change of heart and sent a follow-up on April 23 advising officers "no judicial order…properly restrains you from" making arrests under the state's immigration law. Utmeier insisted that "no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce" the state statute.
This move led the court to demand that Uthmeier defend his violation and prevent a contempt charge, which he clearly was unable to do. Uthmeier has never wavered from his assertion that the temporary restraining order is unjust and that he doesn't need to follow it.
When faced with Williams' order, Uthmeier doubled down on his reject ion f Williams' order, NBC News reported. "This judge is considering whether or not to hold me in contempt," Uthmeier said in a May 6 interview, Williams recounted to implicate him.
"But I am not going to rubber-stamp her order. I’m not going to direct law enforcement to stand down on enforcing the Trump agenda and carrying out Florida’s law," Williams quoted Uthmeier as saying.
"I'm not going to bow down," he added. Uthmeier said in a separate interview that Williams is "issuing this order and saying you gotta tell them all to stand down. I’m not gonna do that."
This sealed the deal for Uthmeier's contempt charge. Williams noted that he was "free to broadcast his continued appeal of the Court’s injunction and his view that the Court’s rulings are erroneous," but that when it came to law enforcement officials under his authority, he wasn't allowed to "tell them otherwise."
The states are suffering from the federal government's failure to enforce immigration laws, and have responded accordingly with legislation. The judge's temporary restraining order put Florida at a disadvantage, and Utmeier's defiance is an attempt to stand up for Floridians and for Trump's immigration crackdown.
A federal judge in Boston ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's administration could not make cuts to the National Institutes of Health research grants, NBC News reported. U.S. District Judge William Young said that eliminating research grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion is "void and illegal."
The judge believes that the administration had no authority to cancel the $1 billion in federal research grants. The remedy was to reinstate the grants, which will be returned to the plaintiffs, including organizations and Democrat-led states that initiated the lawsuit.
"This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community. Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I’m going to do it," Young explained.
Young, whose decision blindsided Trump because he's an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, said that he had "never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable" in his 40 years on the bench. "You are bearing down on people of color because of their color. The Constitution will not permit that," the judge added.
Trump and his administration have fought against DEI initiatives precisely because they favor some groups over others in a reverse discrimination. However, Young asserts that objecting to grants that particularly focus on DEI subjects is the source of injustice.
According to Fox News, White House Spokesman Kush Desai believes Young was ruling from his own political viewpoint. "It is appalling that a federal judge would use court proceedings to express his political views and preferences," Desai said in a statement to Fox News.
"How is a judge going to deliver an impartial decision when he explicitly stated his biased opinion that the Administration’s retraction of illegal DEI funding is racist and anti-LGBTQ? Justice ceases to be administered when a judge clearly rules on the basis of his political ideologies," Desai charged.
Of course, the administration will not take this lying down. HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement that the agency "is exploring all legal options, including filing an appeal and moving to stay the order" in the future.
"HHS stands by its decision to end funding for research that prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes for the American people," Nixon said. He added that the agency is "committed to ensuring that taxpayer dollars support programs rooted in evidence-based practices and gold standard science, not driven by divisive DEI mandates or gender ideology."
Trump took on the broader issue of DEI in just about every corner of the government as part of his promised second-term agenda. The president set to work on his first day in office to dismantle DEI, as evidenced by a White House action on January 20.
As the release noted, "nearly every Federal agency and entity submitted 'Equity Action Plans' to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government" under then-President Joe Biden. The Trump administration called this "immense public waste and shameful discrimination," the declaration said.
"That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great," the White House added.
Trump is committed to ensuring that there is no preferential treatment in the distribution of money or resources in the United States. He has been accused of being the one perpetuating discrimination when really, he's the one reversing it by dispensing with these policies.
There's no reason any group should receive anything over another simply by virtue of some arbitrarily chosen characteristics of that group. Young was wrong to blame Trump, but this speaks to a sickness in government brought on by wokeism.
Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were assassinated over the weekend in what appears to be a politically motivated killing, sending shockwaves across the state and nation.
According to Fox 9, President Donald Trump reacted quickly to the devastating and scary news of their deaths, saying
"such horrific violence will not be tolerated."
The same suspect also shot state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who are both expected to survive.
The president released a full statement after the murders were confirmed, vowing to have his DOJ get to the bottom of what happened and how to prevent it from happening in the future.
The president assured the public that his top people would be on the case until it's resolved.
"I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers. Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.
He added, "Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place."
For her part, Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the FBI was on the ground where the lawmakers were murdered, working with state and local law enforcement, saying she's "closely monitoring" the situation.
She added, "This horrific violence will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
The outlet added:
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said, "The FBI is fully engaged on the ground in Minnesota and is working in collaboration with our local and state partners."
Vance Boelter was named as the suspect in the killing/shootings and was caught just a few days later and charged.
Vance Luther Boelter has formally been charged.
Bail set at $5M.
4 counts of 2nd Degree of Můrdęr WITH Intent NOT Premeditated.
The Statement of Probable Cause confirms that he was dressed as a Police Officer and had identified himself as one.
How is that not Premeditated!?! pic.twitter.com/F3tNwHaYfb
— Southern FFA Family (@FFAFamily) June 16, 2025
Many are claiming that there's much more to this story, given some of the oddities surrounding the suspect.
Only time will tell where it goes.
President Donald Trump has never made a secret of his disdain for what he views as green energy boondoggles, and he recently underscored that point during a signing event at the White House.
As The Hill reports, as part of remarks made while signing measures designed to reverse California's electric vehicle mandate, Trump vowed not to approve any expansion of wind energy generation outside of emergency scenarios.
The president held little back when discussing what he sees as the highly detrimental effects of wind energy production initiatives, not just in terms of its limited viability, but also with regard to its aesthetic and environmental consequences.
He declared, “We're not going to let windmills get built because we're not going to destroy our country any further than it's already been destroyed.”
Touching on the proliferation in wind farms seen in recent years all across the country, Trump continued, “You go and look at these beautiful plans and valleys, and they're loaded up with this garbage that gets worse and worse looking with time.”
The president noted that only an exigent scenario of national proportions would be sufficient to change his mind on the subject.
“We're not going to approve windmills unless something happens that's an emergency. I guess it could happen, but we're not doing any of them,” he concluded.
Trump registered his disapproval of wind energy in extensive fashion while on the campaign trail last year, and upon taking office early this year, his new administration took some measured steps to begin curtailing its expansion.
On Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order placing what was described as a temporary halt to new wind project approvals.
According to the order, onshore wind project development was only slated to be stopped until an assessment of permitting practices could be conducted by the administration.
The language of the order indicated that the assessment would assess the potentially “grave harm” wind projects may cause.
The environmental impact on communities of “defunct and idle windmills” was also a subject slated for review as part of the ordered pause.
No timeline for the aforementioned assessment was provided, and The Hill suggests that no movement on the advancement of any new wind projects appears to be imminent.
Though it remains to be seen whether the administration will hold fast to the president's pledge and prevent wind energy expansion during his term in office, there appears to be little doubt about how he feels about the idea.
An appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump may keep National Guard troops in Los Angeles to quell anti-ICE riots, the BBC reported. California Governor Gavin Newsom had sued over Trump's intervention.
As part of Trump's enforcement efforts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been rounding up suspected illegal aliens. This has led to widespread protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
The president activated the California National Guard after protests against ICE turned disruptive and violent. Trump sent 4,000 guardsmen and 700 Marines to the affected area over Newsom's opposition.
The governor and others sued the administration, and a federal judge initially blocked the use of the troops. However, Thursday's decision will allow the administration to continue for the time being.
When Newsom got his way in the federal court, he took to X, formerly Twitter, for a victory lap. "BREAKING: The court just confirmed what we all know — the military belongs on the battlefield, not on our city streets," Newsom wrote.
"This win is not just for California, but the nation. It’s a check on a man whose authoritarian tendencies are increasing by the day," the Democratic governor who locked people in their homes during COVID-19 said.
"End the illegal militarization of Los Angeles now, @realDonaldTrump. History is watching," Newsom warned. He shared a copy of the legal notice to rub it in.
BREAKING: The court just confirmed what we all know — the military belongs on the battlefield, not on our city streets.
This win is not just for California, but the nation.
It’s a check on a man whose authoritarian tendencies are increasing by the day.
End the illegal… pic.twitter.com/0YMqvZSN6u
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 13, 2025
Unfortunately for Newsom, it was a short-lived victory as the judge allowed Trump's team time to put together an appeal. The order for the troops will stay in place during the legal battle, at least for now, and Newsom once again looks petty and ridiculous.
The left is losing its mind because Trump activated the National Guard and Marines without consulting Congress. However, Trump invoked the law that allows the federal government to do so when a "rebellion" is taking place and needs to be addressed.
Years after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, Democrats tried to paint Trump as an insurrectionist because a group of his supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol, according to Fox News. Now they're trying to say that the violence, property damage, and anarchy on Los Angeles city streets do not meet the definition.
For nearly a week, rioters have been shutting down the freeway with demonstrations and committing acts of vandalism. More than 400 arrests have occurred with no signs that the riots are slowing down.
Still, the state's lawsuit objected to Trump's characterization. "At no point in the past three days has there been a rebellion or an insurrection. Nor have these protests risen to the level of protests or riots that Los Angeles and other major cities have seen at points in the past, including in recent years," the legal filing claimed.
It's utter madness that the Democrats will fight Trump on his attempts to stop these riots. It's clear that they serve a purpose for Democrats who seem to celebrate destruction and mayhem, as long as it's their side that's doing it.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem explained that Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was seen as a threat because he failed to properly identify himself during a dustup Wednesday, Breitbart reported. Noem shared her side on Fox News Channel's The Story on Wednesday.
The situation unfolded when Padilla showed up at a news conference where Noem was speaking and became combative. He disrupted proceedings as she was addressing the anti-ICE riots taking over Los Angeles, Fox News reported.
Padilla "lunged" at the Noem, which forced security to remove the senator from the room and eventually handcuff him. Now, Padilla is complaining about how he was manhandled, but Noem set the record straight while speaking to host Martha MacCallum.
"This man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice and was stopped, did not identify himself and was removed from the room. So as soon as he identified himself, appropriate actions were taken," Noem explained.
Padilla can be heard yelling his name and political office, but only as he's being ushered out of the room. "If he would have requested a meeting, I would have loved to have sat down and had a conversation with him," Noem said.
"Coming into a press conference like this is political theater. It’s wrong, and it does a disservice to this country and the people who live here," she charged.
Noem explained that he was forceful and belligerent, which likely spooked security personnel. "People tried to stop him from interrupting the press conference," Noem said.
"He refused and continued to lunge towards the podium. And that is when he was removed from the room. So the way that he acted was completely inappropriate. It wasn’t becoming of a U.S. Senator or a public official," Noem said.
As a lawmaker, Padilla should understand the boundaries around a fellow official and how security might treat someone acting as he did. Instead, the senator has begun to "cash in," as a separate Fox News report called it.
Padilla, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-NY), and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) each used the incident as a fundraising tool in emails sent to donors on Friday. Padilla said that how they treated him was exactly how they'll treat the salt of the earth illegal immigrants.
Schiff gushed that Padilla is "one of the most decent people I know." The DNC, of course, claimed this was more "steps toward authoritarianism" under President Donald Trump.
However, they all failed to mention the important fact that Padilla only identified himself once security got hold of him and were already escorting him out. This was a manufactured incident orchestrated for exactly the kind of publicity he's getting now.
The people working Noem's security detail did exactly as they should have with a perceived threat. Whether or not Padilla identified himself in a timely manner, he was acting in a way that was threatening and unhinged.