Vice President JD Vance is under fire after referring to Sen. Alex Padilla as “José Padilla” during a stop in Los Angeles on Friday — a moment that triggered immediate backlash online and accusations of racism.
“I was hoping José Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater, and that’s all it is,” Vance said, mocking Padilla during a press event. Padilla, California’s first Latino U.S. senator, had previously clashed with the Trump administration over immigration enforcement in LA.
The problem? Padilla’s name is Alex, not José — and they served in the Senate together. Many saw the name slip as anything but an innocent mistake.
“JD Vance just referred to Senator Alex Padilla as ‘Jose Padilla.’ Vance is a racist piece of trash. What a disgusting thing to say,” political commentator Harry Sisson posted on X.
Former Obama official Tommy Vietor didn’t hold back either: “Shocked that @JDVance acting like a smug little p—- would backfire on him.”
Dan Koh, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary under President Obama, added: “That’s SENATOR Alex Padilla. As he clearly identified himself as at the moment in question.”
Another user pointed out the obvious: “Vance served in the Senate for several years with Alex Padilla. There’s only 100 of them, so you’d think he’d remember his first name.”
Over on Bluesky, the reaction was just as blunt. One user wrote, “After landing in LA, Creep Veep and Cabbage Patch Kid JD Vance called Sen. Alex Padilla Jose Padilla, either because he’s a dumb— or just a lowbrow racist.”
The account Call to Activism posted, “MAJOR BREAKING: In a staggeringly racist and disgusting moment, JD Vance refers to Senator Alex Padilla as ‘José Padilla.’ JD Vance is a complete embarrassment.”
When pressed for clarification, Vance’s spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk shrugged it off: “He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law,” she told CNN, without saying who the other person was.
Some believe Vance confused the senator with José Padilla, a former gang member convicted in 2007 of supporting terrorism — a claim not confirmed, but heavily criticized as offensive.
Padilla’s team wasn’t buying it. “As a former colleague of Senator Padilla, the Vice President knows better,” said spokesperson Tess Oswald. “He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots. Another unserious comment from an unserious administration.”
California officials didn’t let it slide either.
“This was not an accident,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said bluntly on X.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass didn’t hold back at a press conference: “Mr. Vice President, how dare you disrespect our Senator. I guess he just looked like anybody to you. Well, he’s not just anybody to us.”
Earlier that day, Vance had defended Trump’s decision to use California National Guard troops in the city. A federal appeals court had just allowed Trump to keep control over 4,000 California guardsmen — a move California Democrats oppose.
“That determination was legitimate, and the president’s going to do it again if he has to,” Vance warned.
He also pushed back on criticism of immigration enforcement, saying deportations under Trump are focused on violent offenders — but adding, “No one who’s undocumented should feel immune from enforcement.”
When asked whether the administration had gone too far, Vance said, “I don’t think we’ve been too aggressive,” adding, “Anytime we make a mistake we correct that very quickly.”
But on Friday, no one was talking about policy. They were talking about one thing: the Vice President of the United States calling a Latino senator by the wrong name — and not just any name, but one tied to a terrorism case. The internet didn’t see a slip-up. They saw a dog whistle.
Watch the clip below:
Vance: I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question but unfortunately I guess he decided not show up because there wasn’t the theater. We ought to laugh them out of the building. pic.twitter.com/el8wLL7YJg
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 20, 2025
