Pete Hegseth was interrupted four times in four minutes by protesters at a Washington defense event on Wednesday, with demonstrators calling the Pentagon chief a “coward” and a “war criminal.” The Defense Secretary was headlining a panel on autonomous warfare at the U.S. Army’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition when the disruptions began.
Pete Hegseth mentioned Fox News after being heckled by protester
The first protester stood up roughly 16 seconds after Hegseth started speaking and unfurled a banner reading “No War On Iran!” Hegseth had just opened with the line “It’s an exciting time for the Army” when she began chanting. Other protesters followed, criticizing Hegseth over the conflict with Iran and the situation of children in Gaza and the United States. “You’re killing children in Gaza while children in America are starving!!” one shouted. Another yelled, “You’re not a war hero, you’re a coward!”
Security escorted the demonstrators out, carrying one from the room. After the first removal, Hegseth responded with a quip: “She thinks highly of me.” The Defense Secretary then talked about his television past. “The reality is, I feel quite comfortable here. These chairs and these lights—it feels like a television set,” he told the audience. He spent a decade at Fox News, where he co-hosted Fox & Friends.
Ultimately, after the protesters’ interruptions, Pete Hegseth returned to his prepared remarks. He promoted the administration’s “arsenal of freedom” initiative, which aims to rebuild the American defense industrial base, expand domestic manufacturing and speed up military procurement.
The disruption came as Hegseth faces criticism over his wish to livestream the December execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by firing squad, a plan that even Trump and JD Vance have reportedly doubted. The administration is also under pressure over the war in Iran, with higher oil and fuel prices driving much of the price increase. Trump has called the war “a small price to pay” to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
