A Marine Corps veteran running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina says his hand was broken during a confrontation inside a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing room after he protested U.S. military action against Iran.
Brian McGinnis, 44, a firefighter in Raleigh and a Green Party Senate candidate, was forcibly removed from a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing on March 4 after interrupting proceedings with an anti-war protest.
According to reports and video circulating online, McGinnis shouted opposition to the expanding U.S. military campaign against Iran before U.S. Capitol Police moved to remove him from the hearing room.
During the struggle, video shows Senator Tim Sheehy stepping away from the senators’ bench at the front of the hearing room and physically assisting U.S. Capitol Police officers as they attempted to remove McGinnis.
Footage recorded inside the hearing room shows McGinnis gripping a doorframe as officers attempted to pull him away. At one point in the video, voices in the room can be heard reacting to the confrontation, with someone shouting that McGinnis’ hand had been broken.
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 N.C. An antiwar activist filmed the video below: pic.twitter.com/0dVA0ORWXQ
— Alan He (@alanhe) March 4, 2026
The incident occurred during a hearing of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee examining the readiness of the U.S. joint force amid escalating tensions with Iran.
Authorities later charged McGinnis with assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. Officials say both McGinnis and several officers were injured during the confrontation.
Protests are not permitted inside congressional buildings, and disruptions during hearings are typically handled by United States Capitol Police.
McGinnis, who served as a Light Armored Vehicle crewman in the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004, deployed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and later joined the Raleigh Fire Department after leaving the military.
Prior to the protest, McGinnis posted a video explaining his opposition to the conflict and his intention to speak out against what he described as a war Americans do not want.
— Brian McGinnis (@BrianMcGinnisNC) March 4, 2026
His protest drew support from the North Carolina Green Party, which issued a statement praising his actions and accusing Senator Sheehy of abusing his authority by physically involving himself in the removal.
The party also pointed to polling showing a majority of Americans opposing recent U.S. strikes against Iran.
Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and first-term Republican senator from Montana, has not publicly addressed accusations that he may have caused McGinnis’ injury during the confrontation.
Video of the incident has since circulated widely on social media, fueling debate about the limits of protest inside government buildings and the role elected officials should play when security incidents occur during congressional proceedings.
McGinnis is currently running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina on a platform centered on opposition to war, working-class economic policies, and rejecting corporate campaign donations.
According to his campaign website, he refuses donations from corporations or political action committees and says his campaign is “powered by the people.”
The confrontation comes amid growing domestic political tensions over U.S. military operations against Iran and the possibility of a broader regional conflict.
It also raises questions about the conduct of lawmakers during security incidents on Capitol Hill and whether elected officials should physically intervene when law enforcement officers are already handling a disruption.
And for the record, I’ve been running long before this, and yes even after breaking my arm standing up for what I believe in. It’s only made me more determined. Anger is real, and so is resolve. Take care.
— Brian McGinnis (@BrianMcGinnisNC) March 5, 2026
As of now, it remains unclear whether McGinnis’ alleged hand injury has been medically confirmed or whether any formal complaint has been filed regarding Senator Sheehy’s involvement in the incident.
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