Can Zohran Mamdani Upset Andrew Cuomo in NYC? (with Evan Scrimshaw)

Capitol Hill was a chaotic mess on Thursday, and Senator Padilla made sure all eyes were on him. He walked into a press conference, got into a scuffle, and wound up in handcuffs — all of it caught on tape. The footage, conveniently shot by Padilla’s own team, spread fast. If it was a stunt, it worked. Within hours, major Democratic voices like Pete Buttigieg were condemning the incident, claiming even Trump wouldn’t cross that line. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus rallied, heckled Speaker Mike Johnson, and declared Padilla a thug or a hero, depending on which side you were on. Let’s be real: Padilla knew exactly what he was doing. He showed up to that press event looking to make a scene — and he made one. Whether or not he wore his Senate pin is beside the point. He wanted the arrest. He wanted the handcuffs. He wanted to be the visual representation of resistance to what California Democrats are branding a fascist crackdown. Gavin Newsom practically begged Trump to arrest him — Padilla followed through. The reactions say it all. I’ve heard from Republicans on the Hill who weren’t thrilled with how it went down, and that tells you who won the optics game. If the video wasn’t a strategic release — if this wasn’t planned — it sure fooled me. Democrats instantly seized on it. Social media lit up. The message was clear: California’s not backing down. Padilla’s not backing down. And if you try to box us out of this debate, we’ll crash the press conference — literally. Padilla and Governor Kristi Noem apparently had a sit-down afterward. They exchanged numbers, maybe patched it up, maybe not. But the story had already moved. The narrative was set. This wasn’t about reconciliation — it was about the clip. A sitting senator in handcuffs doesn’t just turn heads. It dominates the news cycle. And for a party looking to show spine in the face of rising federal enforcement in California, Padilla delivered. He walked in knowing exactly how it would play — and for better or worse, he played it perfectly. Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:04 - Thoughts on Sen. Padilla 00:09:38 - Interview with Evan Scrimshaw 00:38:53 - Update 00:39:25 - Dem Govs Defend State Immigration 00:42:02 - House Recissions Package Passes 00:44:55 - Air India Plane Crash 00:46:54 - Interview with Evan Scrimshaw, con’t. 01:25:32 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe