JD Vance Calls Sen. Alex Padilla ‘José’ in Dig That California Officials Say Was ‘Not an Accident’ | Video

Vice President JD Vance came under fire Friday afternoon after calling California Sen. Alex Padilla “José” in a dismissive dig that state officials including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass were quick to condemn.

“Mr. Vice President. How dare you disrespect our senator,” Bass said in a fiery press conference that afternoon. “You don’t know his name? But yet you served with him before you were vice president and you continue to serve with him today because the last time I checked, the vice president of the United States is the president of the U.S. Senate. You serve with him today, and how dare you disrespect him and call him José. But I guess he just looked like anybody to you. Well he’s not just anybody to us. He is our senator.”

Watch Vance’s comments via Newsom’s own X post, along with Bass’ response, below.

JD Vance served with Alex Padilla in the United States Senate.

Calling him “Jose Padilla” is not an accident. pic.twitter.com/UOgdzdKcuy

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 20, 2025

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The vice president accused Padilla and other California Democrats of participating in “political theater” during his Friday trip to Los Angeles. He quipped that he was hoping Padilla would be present at the presser to “ask a question” (as he did for Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem last week), but that he must have skipped it “because there wasn’t the theater.”

“I think everyone realizes that that’s what this is: It’s pure political theater,” he said of his colleagues across the aisle.

Newsom responded to the moment, denouncing the vice president for the comment, considering he served with Padilla in the senate. “Calling him José Padilla was not an accident,” Newsom wrote.

When reached by NBC News and asked why Vance referred to Padilla as “José,” spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk said “he must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.”

In a video posted prior to the Padilla incident on X, Newson said he hoped Vance would meet with wildfire victims in the Palisades and Altadena while in L.A. He also indicated that the vice president should speak with President Donald Trump about securing disaster aid for those who need it in the state. The call came amid heightened tensions between the California governor and POTUS as they continue their legal battle over sending the National Guard to L.A. to quell protests related to increased ICE raids in the city.

According to Vance’s office, the vice president was scheduled to hold briefings with officials from the DOD, DEA, Homeland Security, ICE, the LAPD and California Highway Patrol to address the protests, raids and continued federal presence in L.A.

The post JD Vance Calls Sen. Alex Padilla ‘José’ in Dig That California Officials Say Was ‘Not an Accident’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.