Protesters Interrupt Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Army Conference

Multiple protesters interrupted Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a military conference in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, shouting accusations including 'war criminal' and 'Nazi.' The disruptions occurred at least five times within the first 30 minutes of Hegseth's panel discussion. One protester accused Hegseth of 'killing children in Gaza when children in America are starving,' to which Hegseth responded, eliciting applause from the audience. Another protester yelled, 'You're a f***ing war criminal.' As the protests continued, Hegseth appeared increasingly flustered. A panelist suggested that the protests were part of a coordinated effort, which Hegseth acknowledged. Authorities removed one protester who refused to cooperate, carrying her out of the venue. The panel included Hegseth and other military officials, discussing Project Agincourt, a Pentagon initiative focused on autonomous military weapons. Hegseth's unpopularity has been highlighted by recent polling, with a Marquette University survey indicating that only 25 percent of Americans view him favorably, while nearly half have an unfavorable opinion. A Quinnipiac poll showed similar results, with 32 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval. The context of the protests reflects broader dissatisfaction with the U.S. military's actions in Iran, where a Gallup survey found only one in three Americans approve of President Trump's handling of the conflict.