In a rare display of honesty from the left, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine is calling out members of his own party for crossing the line from public service into shameless political performance.

Golden’s remarks come after two high-profile Democrats—Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey—made headlines for all the wrong reasons, engaging in dangerous stunts that some say bordered on criminal.

At the center of the firestorm is Padilla, who caused chaos during a Department of Homeland Security press conference. While DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was addressing reporters, Padilla abruptly stormed the event, ignored security commands, and charged toward the Secretary—sparking an immediate response from law enforcement. Officers tackled Padilla, handcuffed him, and removed him from the scene.

“Storming into the FBI headquarters and trying to break up a press conference and rushing toward a cabinet member is not really the job of an elected official,” Golden told Axios.

Although Golden acknowledged it’s “never good when a senator or member of Congress gets roughed up by law enforcement,” he firmly placed the blame on Padilla for instigating the incident. “I don’t think politics as theater is what our job is here,” he said.

DHS confirmed Padilla’s reckless behavior in a blunt statement posted to X.

“Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,” the department wrote. “Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers’ repeated commands.”

The Secret Service treated Padilla’s lunge as a potential attack, only later discovering his identity. DHS stood by the officers, saying they “acted appropriately.”

But Padilla isn’t the only Democrat bringing disgrace to the Capitol.

Golden also took aim at Rep. LaMonica McIver, who’s now facing a federal indictment after she allegedly stormed into an ICE detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, earlier this year. The May incident didn’t go viral—it went criminal.

A federal grand jury indicted McIver on multiple charges related to the breach. If convicted, she could face up to 17 years in prison.

Golden didn’t mince words about what he sees as a growing addiction to attention-seeking within the Democratic ranks.

“Where I come from, if you shove a police officer, you’re probably getting arrested,” he said, rebuking the trend of viral stunts and political grandstanding.

He warned that the Democratic Party is drifting away from the hard work of legislating and toward a model of governance built on outrage, social media clicks, and reckless showmanship.

His warning came just as the ICE facility in Newark descended into further chaos. On Thursday evening, four migrants escaped the same Delaney Hall detention center McIver previously stormed.

A senior Homeland Security official confirmed the breakout to Fox News, stating that additional law enforcement resources had been deployed and a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert was issued.

Immigration attorney Mustafa Cetin said the disturbance was triggered by delayed meals, which led to roughly 50 detainees becoming aggressive and tearing down a dormitory wall. He said his client reported the wall was “not very strong” and suggested the hanging of bedsheets indicated a premeditated escape attempt. Some detainees also claimed to have smelled gas during the incident.

The irony is hard to miss: While Democrats like Padilla and McIver manufacture chaos for the cameras, real crises—like violent detainee uprisings and migrant escapes—are unfolding under their watch.