WATCH: Padilla Condemns Trump’s Destructive Misuse of the Military, Opposes Defense Policy Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 (NDAA) vote to call on his Senate colleagues to provide a check on President Trump's reckless deployment of military force abroad and on U.S. soil. He encouraged Republicans in Congress to exercise their role as a co-equal branch of government to rein in Trump's harmful foreign policy agenda instead of rubberstamping his conflicts in Latin America and across the globe.

Padilla blasted Trump for destroying decades of bipartisan foreign policy, undermining longstanding alliances like NATO, and cozying up to dictators like Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, and Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that Trump's National Security Strategy abandons our alliances with democracies in the fight against authoritarianism, while supporting temporary, transactional alliances with countries willing to shower him with praise. As Putin continues his crusade to tear up Ukraine, Padilla warned that Trump's acquiescence will put even more innocent civilians in harm's way.

Padilla slammed the unlawful bombing of alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific, despite the fact that Congress has not declared war nor authorized the use of military force in Venezuela or anywhere else in Latin America. Congressional Republicans have failed - twice - to pass a War Powers Resolution and assert Congress' Constitutional authority in response to the boat strikes in the Caribbean. He also criticized the Defense Department's refusal to release videos of the unlawful "double tap" strike against survivors in the Caribbean.

Additionally, Padilla warned his colleagues that President Trump has repeatedly diverted Department of Defense resources, including over $2 billion, to enact his cruel mass deportation campaign and unlawfully deploy National Guard troops to American cities. Last week, a federal judge barred the Trump Administration from continuing to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, ruling the deployment was unlawful.

As Trump tries to use the military to build "unquestioned power" and silence dissent, Padilla called on his Republican colleagues to restore accountability and prevent the Administration from eroding our national security even further. He announced his intent to vote 'no' on the NDAA, urging his colleagues to use this opportunity to stand up to Trump's abuse of power and deployment of troops against American citizens.­

Key Excerpts:

• "Make no mistake: this year is anything but normal. What we've seen just one year into this second Trump Administration is the destruction of eight decades of bipartisan foreign policy consensus and the destruction of post-war alliances that have kept Americans safe for generations. And we've seen growing abuses of power meant to enrich Donald Trump and his allies."

• "If this was solely about stopping drug traffickers, I don't think there would be disagreement or objection here to a law enforcement-based approach to do exactly that. Of course we want to stop drug trafficking. But the Trump Administration seemingly can't to decide if it wants to be crime fighters or war mongers - and they've decided to use the United States military to bomb their way through the Caribbean either way."

• "Donald Trump wants unchallenged use of the military to achieve his every whim and every grievance - even when it means violating our international norms, betraying our allies, and violating the Constitution. How is that going to make us any safer?"

• "Donald Trump is politicizing our servicemembers both by word and by deed. He's diverted military resources away from numerous, numerous critical missions for his chaotic and violent mass deportation campaign. He's federalized and deployed National Guard troops in American cities - against our own citizens - in violation of the law."

• "This president is trying to corrupt the military for his own personal gain, and to silence all opposition. He is pushing the legal limits of his authority."

• "With each passing day, Donald Trump continues to use the Department of Defense as an extension of his Administration's border enforcement apparatus. Republicans have cheered him on the whole way, abdicating their responsibility to this institution, to their constituents, and to their oath of office."

• "Colleagues, this is a president doing everything he can to build 'unquestioned power' over our military, and a Republican party that refuses to challenge him. At a time when the Trump Administration is abusing its power, destroying our standing in the world, deploying troops against our own people, the annual defense authorization bill offers an important opportunity. It's an important opportunity to hold this Administration accountable - not just out of responsibility to our constituents, but to the Constitution and to this co-equal branch of government."

• "900 billion dollars is a lot to rubberstamp. And I refuse to hand this Administration any more tools to enrich themselves and undermine our national security and our standing in the world."

Video of Padilla's full remarks is available here.

Amid President Trump's unlawful deployments of troops to American cities over state and local officials' strong objections, Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and the Illinois and Oregon Senators previously voted against Senate passage of the NDAA.

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