Rubio dismisses bilingual protesters during Senate hearing.
During the hearing, one protester shouted at Rubio in Spanish.
During his Senate hearing on Wednesday, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who was appointed to lead the Department of State under the second Trump administration, was frequently disrupted by demonstrators.
At least two men, including one wearing pink, were pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police after shouting, while a female protester shouted at Rubio in Spanish.
After a protester yelled at him in Spanish, Rubio joked about getting bilingual protesters, eliciting laughter from the crowd.
On Wednesday morning, Code Pink protesters wearing bright pink shirts with slogans "hands of Iran" and "stop killing the children of Gaza" were spotted by Planet Chronicle Digital ahead of the hearing. They also wore anti-Rubio stickers on their headbands and hats.
The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee cautioned protesters before the hearing began, informing them that any disruptions would result in their removal and a ban on attending public hearings for at least a year.
In his opening remarks, Republican Idaho Sen. James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated that distractions will not be allowed during the committee's proceedings. This includes standing up, holding up painted hands or signs, and any other form of disruption. If a person is removed from the committee, they will not be permitted back into any public hearings for at least 12 months. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that important work is carried out efficiently and effectively.
Several of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet nominees will undergo Senate confirmation hearings before his inauguration on Monday.
On Wednesday, protesters interrupted the confirmation hearing of Department of Energy nominee Chris Wright, shouting about his policies' ability to "extinguish the flames in LA."
On Tuesday, during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth was interrupted by protesters while being grilled by lawmakers in preparation for a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense.
A female protester wearing fatigues shouted at a hearing that veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza, as shown in a Planet Chronicle Digital video.
An elderly man in handcuffs and zipties was escorted out of the hearing, while another man in fatigues was carried out by Capitol Police.
During his hearing, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., inquired about the protesters, specifically regarding the ongoing war in Israel since 2023, to Hegseth.
"Another protester, who I believe was a member of Code Pink, a Chinese communist front group, accused me of supporting Israel's war in Gaza. I, too, support Israel's existential war in Gaza, as does President Trump," Cotton stated.
Hegseth stated that he supports Israel's destruction and killing of every Hamas member.
politics
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