Ohio Senator JD Vance was in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He visited a multi-agency federal joint operations center and a mobile command center, all amid the calming storm of recent demonstrations that crested in the city. His visit came just days after the lifting of a 10-day curfew that had severely restricted public movement and engagement.
During his visit, Vance made headlines after mistakenly referring to California Governor Gavin Newsom as “Jose Padilla,” an infamous figure linked to al-Qaida who was arrested in 2002 for planning to detonate a radioactive bomb. This was a major blunder, and the blowback was swift, especially from Katie Porter, former Democratic congresswoman and now Democratic gubernatorial candidate in California. She called Vance’s comments “despicable,” a description lately leveled by others in the public service with pretend outrage.
Fortunately, Vance’s new spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk was quick to set the record straight. Naturally, they said the senator must’ve mixed up the two famous lawbreakers. Regardless of the snafu though, Vance was not done excoriating local leadership on his visit. As he put it, “You had people intent on enforcing the law. On the other hand, rioters, sanctioned by the governor and the mayor, created a much more dangerous environment to make it virtually impossible for those cops to do their job.” That is disgraceful. And it is a reason why the president should have responded so forcefully.”
When the senator’s motorcade reached the federal building in Westwood at 2 PM, active-duty marines were stationed to guard the federal building. Local reporters were barred from attending Vance’s press event, which began at 3:11 PM. At this news conference, he opened it almost exclusively to national reporters, preventing any local media from even having the chance to ask an important question.
During Vance’s three-day trip, he visited the front lines of federal immigration enforcement. He made his concerns about California’s status as a sanctuary state known. He continued, “Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have safely governed the city of Los Angeles as a sanctuary city—their radical decision to pull these resources so brazenly means it’s open season on federal law enforcement. This bold statement is consistent with his attempt to nationalize all awful local governance in the wake of unrest.
In response to Vance’s comments, Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Governor Newsom, countered that “the vice president’s claim is categorically false. The governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear.” Local leaders have worked to balance a strong emphasis on law enforcement and public safety with the challenges of shifting, often fractious, community expectations.
Katie Porter’s rejoinder to Vance’s comments on Governor Newsom. She implied that his remarks were not the kind one expects from an elected leader. That’s despicable, something you’d expect from an internet troll,” she said.
As Vance concluded his visit, he departed Los Angeles on Air Force Two at 6:05 PM. His brief stay and controversial statements have ignited discussions about political decorum and local governance amid ongoing tensions surrounding law enforcement and public safety in California.