A US senator has defended his actions after a Marine Corps veteran protesting against Iran strikes suffered a broken arm during a confrontation on Capitol Hill. The incident occurred on Wednesday when Senator Tim Sheehy, a Republican from Montana, intervened as Capitol Police attempted to remove the protester from a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
The protester, Brian McGinnis, a Marine veteran in dress uniform, was disrupting the hearing to denounce joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. As officers struggled to escort him out, McGinnis’s arm became wedged in a door frame. Senator Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, joined the scuffle, and a snap was heard. Onlookers shouted that a senator had broken the Marine’s hand.
After returning to his seat, Sheehy was called a “coward” and a “punk” by a member of the public, to which he reportedly responded with an expletive. McGinnis continued to shout “Free Palestine” as he was led away. He was arrested and faces charges including assaulting a police officer.
Capitol Police blamed McGinnis for the injury, stating he “got his own arm stuck in a door to resist our officers”. Sheehy defended his involvement on social media, saying he aimed to “de-escalate the situation” and that the protester “came looking for a confrontation”. However, critics including veterans’ groups condemned the senator’s actions as unnecessary and dangerous.
McGinnis’s family later announced he would be stepping back from public view to focus on his recovery. The incident has sparked debate over the use of force and the role of elected officials in such situations.
