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Protesters repeatedly interrupted War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s headline appearance at the Army’s biggest annual conference on Wednesday, calling him a “war criminal” and a “coward” in protest of the Iran war.
At least five times in the first half hour of a panel, foul-mouthed anti-war protesters shouted at Hegseth, calling him a “f—ing Nazi” among other insults.
Hegseth responded with chuckles and sarcastic comments, at first — but his reactions became increasingly short and irritated as he slammed the “semi-coordinated” attack as one-by-one protesters emerged among the crowd in Washington, D.C.
A protestor is removed after interrupting a discussion with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during the U.S. Army’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on October 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Secretary Hegseth participated in a discussion on the future of autonomous warfare. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 2026. The AUSA Meeting and Exposition is a defense trade show and networking event for the global defense community. (Jim WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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“You’re not a warrior you’re a coward!” one demonstrator shouted at Hegseth.
“She thinks highly of me,” the Pentagon chief quipped after one outburst, which led to brief applause from the crowd.
The protesters were spread among the room and waited a few minutes between outbursts to interrupt the panel with their anti-war messages.
As Hegseth saw a pattern emerging among the outbreaks, he acknowledged: “Appears we have a bit of a tactic.”
The demonstrators were forcibly removed by security for the event — with at least one woman needing to be carried out of the room by multiple officers while she continued to scream her protest.
A protestor is removed by security personnel as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 2026. The AUSA Meeting and Exposition is a defense trade show and networking event for the global defense community. (Jim WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The panel with Hegseth included acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Derrick Evans.
As the disruptions continued, the speakers stopped pausing amid the din of shouting and tried to talk over the protesters.
It’s unclear how the protesters received credentials to attend the event known as AUSA, which brings together Army brass and the defense contractors that service them.
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A protestor is removed by security personnel as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 2026. The AUSA Meeting and Exposition is a defense trade show and networking event for the global defense community. (Jim WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The panel focused on Project Agincourt, the Pentagon’s initiative to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous weapons and military systems.
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Hegseth joined senior leadership from the service branches to discuss how the military plans to integrate drones, robotics and other autonomous technologies.