Hegseth says he asked Capitol Police to remove hearing protesters
"I would ask that the Capitol Police, whose professionalism I admire, remove those who are seeking to disrupt the hearing."
About this episode
This short episode is a single, uninterrupted clip from a congressional hearing featuring a defence budget discussion and multiple audience disruptions. A protester interrupts early, shouting “STOP BOMBING OUR CHILDREN IN IRAN AND PALESTINE” and calling it “illegal”. The chair instructs the secretary to pause proceedings “until order is restored”, noting the witness has already been “interrupted twice”, and restarts the timing clock once the room is brought back to order.
When the witness resumes, he frames the budget debate in terms of overall national defence funding, stating that “1.5 trillion is what the president seeks and what we need to defend the country”. He argues against relying on “one-off supplementals” for what he calls “long-term strategic dominance”, before being interrupted again. As disruptions continue, the chair repeatedly calls for order. Near the end of the clip, the secretary asks Capitol Police to remove those “seeking to disrupt the hearing”, praising the officers’ “professionalism”.
The segment contains no additional evidence or documentation beyond the live exchange; the protesters’ claims are presented as shouted assertions, while the official remarks focus on budget justification and maintaining order in the hearing room.
Key takeaways
- A protester interrupts the hearing shouting: “STOP BOMBING OUR CHILDREN IN IRAN AND PALESTINE. This is illegal.”
- The chair suspends proceedings “until order is restored” and notes the witness has been “interrupted twice”.
- The witness says “1.5 trillion is what the president seeks” for defence and argues long-term planning should not rely on “one-off supplementals”.
- The chair repeatedly calls for order as interruptions continue.
- The witness asks Capitol Police to remove those “seeking to disrupt the hearing”, praising their “professionalism”.