Daijiworld Media Network - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Jun 21: Vice President JD Vance ignited a political firestorm during his contentious visit to Los Angeles on Friday, accusing California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass of inciting violent immigration protests. The situation escalated further when Vance mistakenly referred to Senator Alex Padilla as “Jose Padilla”—a name linked to a convicted al-Qaida operative—drawing immediate backlash.

Vance’s remarks came in the aftermath of intense protests across Southern California, triggered by sweeping federal immigration raids. The federal response—deploying 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines—has drawn sharp criticism from California leaders, who argue it has only heightened tensions.

After touring a federal Joint Operations Center and a mobile command unit, Vance doubled down on his accusations. “By treating this city as a sanctuary, Newsom and Bass have essentially declared open season on federal law enforcement,” he told reporters. “What happened here is a tragedy—law officers were attacked while carrying out their duties, and state leaders stood by. That’s disgraceful.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Vance referred to Senator Alex Padilla as “Jose Padilla” during the press briefing. The misidentification comes just a week after Padilla was tackled and briefly detained during a Homeland Security event, which had sparked national outrage. “I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here today to ask a question,” Vance said mockingly. “But maybe he didn’t show because there was no theatre to grandstand in.”

The blunder drew immediate criticism, as the name “Jose Padilla” is widely associated with a terrorism case from the Bush era. Governor Newsom took to X (formerly Twitter), calling the remark “no accident,” suggesting it was a deliberate slight rather than a slip of the tongue.

In a subsequent press conference, Newsom fiercely rebutted the Vice President’s comments. “This is utter nonsense,” he said. “The Vice President’s claim that we encouraged violence is categorically false. We have consistently condemned any form of violence.”

Mayor Karen Bass also hit back, calling Vance’s accusations “offensive and unfounded.” “To suggest that local officials encouraged rioting is a gross mischaracterization. We worked tirelessly to keep the peace. What the federal government did was a political stunt that cost taxpayers hundreds of millions,” she stated.

Earlier in the day, Newsom had urged Vance to visit communities devastated by January’s wildfires and to press President Trump to release $40 billion in stalled federal wildfire aid. “We are counting on you, Mr Vice President,” Newsom wrote on X. Vance, however, ignored the request and made no mention of the disaster relief funds during his appearance.

The Vice President’s trip, meant to project strength in the face of immigration unrest, has instead sparked bipartisan condemnation and renewed debate over the federal government’s role in handling state-level crises.