Protesters heckled US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a military convention as he outlined the future of drone warfare. Security guards later escorted the protesters out of the event. This incident marks only the latest time protesters have targeted the Defense Secretary; in April, demonstrators confronted him during a Pentagon hearing.
Pete Hegseth heckled during military drone panel
According to a report by OK Magazine, Pete Hegseth was attending a US Army convention in Washington, DC, when a group of protesters heckled him.
Hegseth was discussing the future of drone warfare during the first half hour of the panel when a few protesters threw insults at him. The panel also included Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao.
One of the protesters referred to the conflict between Iran and the United States of America and called him a “war criminal!” Another woman was heard telling the Defense Secretary that, “You’re not a warrior, you’re a coward.”
In response to this, the Secretary of Defense replied sarcastically, stating, “It appears we have a bit of a tactic. She thinks highly of me.” Reacting to Hegseth’s reply, the panelists started laughing, while the audience cheered.
A protester used an air horn to disrupt the event, with another criticizing the $1.5 trillion defense budget as a means to “kill people.” Security later escorted the six demonstrators out of the event.
The Association of US Army released a statement slamming the demonstrators’ actions and told Fox News Digital, “The First Amendment right to protest is fundamental.”
It also added, “However, everyone who registers to attend the Annual Meeting and enters the convention center does so after agreeing to abide by a code of conduct, so the protestors’ outbursts were certainly not appropriate during today’s forum.”
