War Secretary Pete Hegseth's headline appearance at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C., was repeatedly interrupted by anti-war protesters on Wednesday. At least five times during the first half hour of a panel, demonstrators shouted insults at the Pentagon chief, including calling him a "war criminal," a "coward," and a "fucking Nazi," in protest of the Iran war.
Hegseth initially responded to the disruptions with chuckles and sarcastic remarks. After one outburst, he quipped, "She thinks highly of me," which drew brief applause from the crowd. As the interruptions continued, his reactions became shorter and more irritated. He described the disruptions as a "semi-coordinated" attack, noting that protesters emerged one by one from the audience. "Appears we have a bit of a tactic," Hegseth acknowledged as he identified the pattern.
The panel included senior defense leadership. Adam Telle served as acting Army Secretary, Hung Cao as acting Navy Secretary, and Troy Meink as Air Force Secretary. Derrick Evans attended as assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. The discussion centered on Project Agincourt, a Pentagon initiative aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous weapons and military systems. The group addressed how the military plans to integrate drones, robotics, and other autonomous technologies.
As the shouting persisted, the speakers stopped pausing and attempted to talk over the protesters. Security personnel forcibly removed the demonstrators from the venue. At least one woman was carried out of the room by multiple officers while continuing to scream her protest. It remains unclear how the protesters obtained credentials to attend the event, which gathers Army brass and defense contractors.