Social media erupts after Dem senator compares 'political stunt' to civil rights leader: 'Woke insult'

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse faced contiguous blowback connected Thursday successful effect to a societal media station wherever helium compared his Democratic colleague's outburst astatine a property league to the enactment of Civil Rights pioneer and precocious Congressman John Lewis. 

Shortly aft Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed and handcuffed during a property league held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem successful Los Angeles amid anti-ICE rioting, Sen. Whitehouse posted a photograph of the incidental alongside a historical photograph of Lewis being confronted by constabulary officers aft being attacked by a mob astatine a South Carolina autobus station. 

Lewis was arrested implicit 40 times during the Civil Rights Movement and was a large fig during galore salient moments of the era, including the Freedom Rides, speaking astatine the March connected Washington and participating successful the Selma to Montgomery marches successful Alabama. 

GOP Congressman Burgess Owens, who was raised successful the Jim Crow South, was 1 of galore who took contented with the comparison. 

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Dem. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse compared Dem. Sen. Alex Padilla to Civil Rights icon John Lewis connected Thursday (Getty;AP )

"Talk astir a cheap, woke insult," Owens told Fox News Digital. "As idiosyncratic who grew up nether segregation successful the Deep South, I tin archer you: comparing this governmental stunt to the courageousness of the Civil Rights Movement is offensive, wrong, and shameful."

The station was besides criticized by conservatives on social media. 

"Sit this 1 out," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields posted connected X.

"Are you insane," Fox News big Lawrence Jones posted connected X. 

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U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Democrat from California, is removed from the country aft interrupting a quality league with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem astatine the Wilshire Federal Building successful Los Angeles connected June 12, 2025. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

"That reminds maine — however is your whites-only formation nine doing?" Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway posted connected X, referencing Whitehouse’s rank successful an exclusive Rhode Island sailing nine that has been criticized for reportedly lone allowing White members.

"Neither would beryllium allowed astatine Sheldon’s each achromatic formation club," Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted connected X. 

Whitehouse has denied that the nine has "exclusionary rules for membership" but acknowledged it "does deficiency diversity" and apologized for "failing to code the sailing club’s deficiency of diversity." 

Fox News Digital reached retired to Whitehouse’s bureau for comment.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Fox News successful a connection that "the examination unsocial by Senator Whitehouse is disrespectful, but besides rather affluent coming from the feline with a rank to an exclusive, all-white state club." 

"It appears the morally bankrupt Democrat Party is consenting to spell to utmost lengths to warrant Senator Padilla’s pathetic governmental stunt, including comparing his inappropriate outburst to John Lewis’ heroic combat for civilian rights," helium said. 

Padilla, the archetypal Latino elected to the Senate from California, sparked a media firestorm Thursday implicit the property league incidental wherever his bureau says he was trying to inquire Noem a question earlier helium was "forcibly removed by national agents, forced to the crushed and handcuffed." 

The video of officers removing and past bringing Padilla to the crushed rapidly dispersed among lawmakers connected Capitol Hill, with immoderate senators watching the spectacle unfold connected the Senate floor.  

Democratic lawmakers universally condemned the level of unit utilized to region Padilla, and staged a march to the offices of some House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D, successful protest. 

Some demanded that Noem resign from her post. 

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Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Kristi Noem should ne'er person been appointed to that office," chap California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said. "She should resign from that office. There ought to beryllium an probe of the behaviour of those officers."

The absorption connected the other broadside of the aisle was mostly connected the aforesaid page, with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., accusing Padilla of making "a spectacle of himself," and questioning wherefore helium did not amusement up for Senate votes. 

Others wanted to cognize if a transgression had been committed, similar Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was presiding implicit the Senate level erstwhile the video began making the rounds. 

"In fact, the Democrats are the ones that similar to accidental nobody's supra the law," helium told Fox News Digital. "Now it's a small ironic, fixed that they cheered arsenic the FBI raided the location of a erstwhile president with astir wholly nary justification whatsoever."