January 1, Hot Mic EXPOSES What California Mayor Said About Silencing Angry Citizens

Wyatt’s Take

• Sacramento mayor and vice mayor caught on hot mic scheming to ban vocal citizens from future meetings after immigration debate exploded into chaos
• City leaders openly discussed how to silence protesters who challenged their sanctuary city policies—despite their own city attorney warning them they can’t legally do it
• Furious residents erupted when vice mayor defended taking federal money for an intelligence center they say undermines sanctuary protections

A hot mic caught Sacramento’s mayor and vice mayor plotting how to silence angry citizens after a heated immigration debate sent their city council meeting into total chaos Tuesday night.

“We should go over this disruptions thing, because if we want to ban somebody in the future, like to take them out, we have to point out specifically…” Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes is heard saying on the live microphone.

“I know, but the city attorney said we can’t do that,” Mayor Kevin McCarty replied.

“We did it last time,” Talamantes responded.

“We can’t,” McCarty said, shaking his head. “I spent my first six months going over this. I wanted to give people, like, probation, like, you can’t come…”

Talamantes then appeared to realize the microphone was still live and quickly reached over to switch it off before continuing the conversation, according to the publicly available city council livestream.

The awkward exchange unfolded after Sacramento City Council recessed and ordered the public removed from the chambers following repeated disruptions during a fiery debate over the city’s continued participation in a regional intelligence-sharing center. Residents packed the meeting to oppose the program, arguing it could facilitate information sharing with federal immigration authorities and undermine Sacramento’s sanctuary city policies.

The confrontation escalated after Talamantes defended accepting federal funding for the Central California Intelligence Center, arguing Sacramento’s sanctuary city policies and immigrant protections made the city better suited to oversee the grant than other jurisdictions.

“The city of Sacramento is a sanctuary city,” Talamantes said during the meeting.

“If we don’t pass these dollars, other counties will apply for these dollars, they will get those dollars and we will have no safeguards to protect our immigrant communities here in Sacramento.”

Dozens of speakers had earlier urged the council to reject the agreement. Police officials repeatedly disputed their concerns during the meeting, telling council members Sacramento does not share personal identifying information for civil immigration enforcement and complies with California’s sanctuary law, known as SB 54.

As public comment grew increasingly heated, one speaker repeatedly demanded McCarty pay attention.

“Kevin, I need your f—ing eyes. Kevin, listen to me. Stop being an a–hole, dude. Listen to your f—ing constituents,” the speaker shouted.

Following Talamantes’ remarks, another round of shouting erupted inside the council chambers.

“You’re a pick-me b—-,” one attendee shouted at Talamantes, while others yelled, “Shame on you.”

McCarty responded with what he described as a “final notice.”

“This is the final notice,” the mayor said.

“We’re going to continue with the deliberation, and if there’s any more outbursts, we’re gonna have to ask the audience to leave.”

Seconds later, the disruptions intensified.

“You can’t do this behind closed f—ing doors!” one attendee shouted.

“We are the community,” another yelled.

“You represent us. You are our f—ing audience,” another voice exclaimed as council members attempted to continue the meeting.

Council officials then paused the meeting and cleared the chambers after repeated disruptions prevented deliberations from continuing. That’s when the hot mic caught the mayor and vice mayor discussing how to keep vocal opponents out of future meetings—even though their own city attorney had already told them it wasn’t legal.

Following the meeting, McCarty said the private conversation focused on existing meeting procedures, not new restrictions.

“Every Tuesday, Vice Mayor Talamantes and I are responsible for overseeing and ensuring transparent, accessible, and open Council meetings,” McCarty said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, when meetings are repeatedly disrupted, we must discuss existing policies and rules to ensure Council meetings remain effective, orderly, and respectful for both the residents in attendance and the Councilmembers. We are committed to ensuring that all members of the public can access and engage safely without distraction or intimidation.”

The Sacramento City Attorney’s Office declined to address McCarty’s reference to legal advice during the hot-mic exchange.

“The City Attorney’s Office has no comment and will not be providing comment on this matter,” the office said in a statement.

The city’s published meeting rules state that members of the public receive two minutes per agenda item and may speak on no more than four items during a meeting, limits intended to help the council conduct city business.

The hot-mic exchange quickly drew criticism from activists, who argued Talamantes appeared interested in silencing vocal opponents.

Joshua Masias, a volunteer organizer with the Sac Immigration Committee, said the conversation showed an authoritative approach toward members of the public.

“It’s very authoritative how she wants to use her power,” Masias said.

“It stuck out to me that she was the only one to try to silence the crowd.”

Resident Leanna Hunt, one of the council’s most outspoken critics, also defended the protesters’ frustration.

“I’m fed up,” Hunt said.

“It’s not even a tactic — I’m just tired of being treated like we are an audience and that the king is deigning to see us peasants today and when the peasants are unruly, the king gets upset.”

Why It Matters

When elected officials get caught on a hot mic scheming to silence citizens who dare challenge their policies, it exposes the contempt too many politicians have for the people they’re supposed to serve. These Sacramento leaders weren’t discussing public safety or maintaining order—they were plotting how to ban vocal critics from future meetings, even after their own lawyer told them it was illegal. That’s not leadership. That’s authoritarianism dressed up in sanctuary city virtue signaling. And the fact they only stopped when they realized the mic was live tells you everything you need to know about how much they value transparency.