Tim Sheehy helps remove Marine veteran yelling ‘no one wants to fight for Israel’ at Capitol hearing

WASHINGTON, DC: Montana Senator Tim Sheehy reportedly had a brief altercation with an anti-war protester on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 4. The politician reportedly helped Capitol Police officers remove Brian McGinnis from a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee meeting after he disrupted the hearing.

McGinnis, reportedly a Marine veteran running as a Green Party candidate in North Carolina's Senate race, was ejected after he yelled, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel.”

Tim Sheehy helps remove protester from hearing

CBS News’ Alan He posted a video of the altercation on X that showed three police officers aggressively trying to subdue and remove Brian McGinnis. The post also showed Tim Sheehy rushing to help the officers as he grabbed his leg to get him out of the room.

In the caption, He wrote, “Senator Sheehy joined Capitol Police in lifting up and ejecting anti war protestor Brian McGinnis from a SASC subcommittee hearing. McGinnis is a Green Party candidate running for Senate in NC. An antiwar activist filmed the video below.”

While the struggle was going on, McGinnis’ left hand appeared to get stuck between the door and the frame as Sheehy tried to dislodge it. Eventually, the anti-war protester was removed from the room, but he alleged that his arm was broken.

Tim Sheehy says he helped deescalate protest

Later, Sheehy shared a statement on X regarding the altercation. He wrote, “Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protestor from the Armed Services hearing. He was fighting back. I decided to help out and deescalate the situation.”

“This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one. I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence,” he added.

Tim Sheehy says protester endangered Capitol officers

The politician also issued a lengthy statement that said, “This afternoon, an unruly man who started to illegally protest during a hearing, put everyone in a dangerous position by violently resisting and fighting our officer’s attempts to remove him from the room.”

He continued that the incident happened “just before 3:00 pm, during a hearing inside the Hart Senate Office Building,” noting, “Three officers had to be treated for injuries by DC Fire & EMS. The suspect, who got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers and force his way back into the hearing room, was also treated.”

Sheehy also revealed in his statement that McGinnis, 44, “is facing three counts of Assault on a Police Officer, as well as three counts of Resisting Arrest, and Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding for the unlawful demonstration.”

“Protests are not allowed inside the Congressional Buildings. There are plenty of other spots on Capitol Grounds, outside, where demonstrations are allowed,” he concluded.