Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass didn’t hold back in criticizing Vice President JD Vance after he made a shocking gaffe at a recent press conference.
During the event, Vance called California Senator Alex Padilla “Jose Padilla,” mixing up his name in a way many saw as disrespectful. When pressed about the error, Vance’s press secretary shrugged it off, saying Vance “must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.” This jab referenced Padilla’s recent detention during a Homeland Security press event.
Bass was furious and spoke out immediately. “Mr. Vice President, how dare you disrespect our Senator? 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,” she said bluntly.
She added, “The last time I checked, the Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate. You serve with him today, so how dare you disrespect him and call him ‘Jose.’ But I guess he just looks like anybody to you.”
Vance’s slip sparked a wave of anger online. Many called him a “racist piece of trash” and worse. California Governor Gavin Newsom also condemned the remarks, saying, “Calling him ‘Jose Padilla’ is not an accident.”
This incident comes amid ongoing confusion and false claims about Padilla’s detention last week. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem falsely claimed on Fox News that Padilla never identified himself. Video evidence showed otherwise, with Padilla clearly stating he was a U.S. senator.
Padilla responded to the misinformation in a New York Times op-ed, calling the incident “a warning shot.”
Mayor Bass’s sharp words make it clear: JD Vance’s disrespect won’t be overlooked. “How dare you,” she said—making sure everyone knows this kind of slip-up is unacceptable.
