Sonam Sheth is an Evening Politics Editor at Newsweek who is based in New York. She joined Newsweek in 2024 and previously worked at Business Insider and CNBC. Sonam has extensive experience covering national security, foreign policy, elections, and stories at the intersection of law and politics. Her work has been cited in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, and others. She has also frequently appeared on national television and radio, including MSNBC, NBC News, BBC World News, BBC News radio, and more. You can get in touch with Sonam at s.sheth@newsweek.com. Languages: English, Hindi, and French.
Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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Vice President JD Vance on Friday referred to Senator Alex Padilla of California as “Jose” while speaking to reporters.
Asked about the comment, a spokesperson for Vance told Newsweek in a statement: “He must have mixed up two people who have broken the law.”
What To Know
Vance made his remark while visiting Los Angeles amid the Trump administration’s efforts to quell demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting areas with high immigrant populations and labor-intensive industries.
While Vance was taking questions, a reporter referenced when Padilla was recently forcibly removed from a news conference that Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, held earlier this month.
“The New York Times just did a story” about lawmakers who “keep getting handcuffed, suggesting that … the Trump administration is cracking down on Democrats,” the reporter said. “Can you comment on that?”
“Well, I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater,” Vance said. “And that’s all it is. I think everybody realizes that’s what this is.”
A spokesperson for Padilla sharply criticized Vance—a former Ohio senator—over his comments on Friday, telling Newsweek in a statement: “As a former colleague of Senator Padilla, the Vice President knows better.”
“He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots. Another unserious comment from an unserious administration,” Padilla’s spokesperson said.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a visit to the the Wilshire Federal Building Friday, June 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a visit to the the Wilshire Federal Building Friday, June 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. Jae C. Hong/AP
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