President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was interrupted by at least three protesters during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
“Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza,” one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows.
Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, when he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense.
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An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police.
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Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has spent his days in recent weeks on Capitol Hill meeting with senators to rally support as he battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed that he won’t drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.
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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023.
“Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel’s war in Gaza. I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said.
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“I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,” Hegseth responded.
“And the third protester said something about 20 years of genocide. I assume that’s our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan?” Cotton continued.
“Senator, I do not. I think … our troops, as you know, as so many in this committee know, did the best they could with what they had. … And tragically, the outcome we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration put a stain on that, but it doesn’t put a stain on what those men and women did in uniform, as you know full well, Senator,” Hegseth responded.
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