Merkley on Padilla Being Forcibly Removed: Trump Administration Is ‘Becoming an Authoritarian State’

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said Thursday on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” that Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) being forcibly removed by security personnel at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference is an example of the Trump administration “becoming an authoritarian state.”

Merkley said, “We are seeing America slide into an authoritarian state. The president is attacking freedom of the press, he’s attacking the universities, he’s attacking the law firms, he is proceeding to break so many laws regarding the conduct of the Executive Branch, and he’s stiff-arming the courts. This is how a republic becomes an authoritarian state. And we’re seeing one more evidence here. You know, our First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right to petition the government with your grievances. Here is a U.S. Senator saying, Hey, I have a very serious question here. He’s identifying himself as a U.S. Senator. It’s a press conference. Why would not the secretary say, let’s hear from the senator from California? I’ll answer his question instead of having the FBI police shove him out of the room, knock him to the ground, handcuff him, because this administration is becoming an authoritarian state.”

He added, “It is absolutely wrong and it is outrageous. And members of colleagues of mine are on the Floor. I was on the floor a few minutes ago saying, This type of conduct has to end and we have to save our republic.”

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