Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was involved in a confrontation during a US Senate hearing on the war in Iran.
Video from the incident shows the senator helping police forcefully remove an anti-war protester who had disrupted the proceedings with an apparent anti-Israel and anti-war stance.
The incident happened during a hearing in Washington on Wednesday. A protester stood up and began shouting objections to US military action linked to the conflict with Iran. He repeatedly yelled that Americans should not be dragged into the war, shouting: “No one wants to fight for Israel!”
Capitol Police removed the man, later identified as Brian McGinnis. McGinnis is a Marine Corps veteran and a Green Party candidate running for a Senate seat in North Carolina.
As officers struggled to escort him out of the room, Sheehy stepped in to assist. Viral footage shows the senator grabbing the protester’s legs while police tried to pull him away from a doorway he was holding onto.
During the struggle, McGinnis’s hand became stuck in the door frame as multiple men were pulling him out of the room. Witnesses in the room were heard shouting in alarm as a loud snapping sound was reported. McGinnis later said his arm had been broken during the altercation.
Capitol Police said the protester resisted officers and created a dangerous situation. Three officers and McGinnis were treated for injuries after the scuffle. Authorities later arrested him and charged him with multiple offences, including assaulting officers, resisting arrest, and unlawful demonstration.
Sheehy defended his actions after the incident, saying he stepped in to help officers deal with the disruption. In a statement on social media, he said police were trying to remove “an unhinged protestor” who was fighting back and added that he decided to help “de-escalate the situation”.
The confrontation went viral on social media brining in strong reactions from both supporters and critics.
Sheehy is a former Navy SEAL who served in Afghanistan and is one of the newer members of the Senate. He was elected to represent Montana after winning the 2024 election and currently sits on the Armed Services Committee, which oversees US military policy.
