Democrat Padilla will ‘of course’ attend Trump’s inauguration, willing to work with new administration

California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla said he will attend the 47th presidential inauguration on Monday in which President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office for his second term.

“I do plan to be there. Of course,” he told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

When asked about his expectations for the Trump presidency, Padilla chuckled. “Hoping for the best, hoping for some good. But preparing for some bad, if the first administration was any indicator,” he said.

Though Padilla’s Democratic colleague Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said he is rooting for Trump to be a successful president, Padilla’s support “depends on what helps me define success.”

“If we’re going to continue the progress of the last four years for the sake of our national security, for the sake of our economy and working class balance, then absolutely, Donald Trump or anybody else,” Padilla said. However, he added, “I’m not going to root for President Trump simply by his terms.”

Padilla also emphasized his willingness to work with the president-elect.

“Despite all the rhetoric on immigration and immigrants that we’ve heard from him for years and years and years, when he says publicly that he’s supportive of helping Dreamers, hey, I’m all ears,” he said, referring to migrants who were brought into the country without documentation as minors.

Speaking for his Democratic colleagues, Padilla said that the party is “ready to work with the new administration where [they] agree” in order to “build on [their] progress from the last four years.”

In regard to the TikTok ban implemented overnight, Padilla remained tight-lipped about whether he thinks Trump should reinstate the popular social media app.

“Look, we support the creative community and social media platforms, but clearly there have to be guardrails to protect against lots of harms that are increasingly evident,” he said, citing misinformation, disinformation, and addiction as issues that need to be addressed.

Trump announced on Sunday on Truth Social that he will issue an executive order intended to postpone the ban on TikTok “so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.” The incoming president also said he wants the U.S. to have a “50% ownership position in a joint venture.”

Padilla said he “looks forward” to Trump traveling to California to witness the fire damage firsthand and speak with affected families. The senator had invited Trump to do so last week, pointing out that the site of devastation is “just about 30 miles from [Trump’s] golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes.”

Padilla introduced a bipartisan legislative package with three wildfire-related bills on Friday.