Trump's US defense secretary nominee's testimony interrupted by protesters
Capitol police remove protesters from room while Pete Hegseth giving opening statement before Senate Armed Services Committee
Trump's Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth
WASHINGTON
The hearing of US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to serve as next secretary of defense was interrupted multiple times on Tuesday.
🗣️ 'We need money here, not to bomb babies in Gaza'
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 14, 2025
Female veteran disrupted Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing as Secretary of Defense, protesting US military policies https://t.co/GEsyfXstnm ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/CJdlUlAnmC
The Capitol police removed at least three protesters from the room while Pete Hegseth was giving his opening statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"You are a misogynist!" an elderly man shouted. "Not only that, you are a Christian Zionist!".
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker thanked the authorities for the "swift reaction to that outburst" and stated that that similar interruptions will be treated in like manner.
Another protester yelled: "No money for the disasters, there will be $8 billion to Israel to slaughter children. That's the recruiting crisis."
🗣️ ‘You support the war in Gaza by the Zionists’
The confirmation hearing of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be the next Secretary of Defence, was interrupted several times https://t.co/GEsyfXrVxO pic.twitter.com/ZjstU622pb
After dragged out of the room, another protester was heard saying: "[Veterans] are committing suicide and are homeless but we send money to bomb children in Gaza. Shame on all of you!"
Wicker again reacted to the protests, saying: "Let me just say this, the Capitol Police are going to remove immediately individuals that are disrupting the hearing. I see a pattern attempted to be inflicted on the committee, and we're simply not going to tolerate that."
