Brian McGinnis, 44, a Raleigh firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is facing multiple charges following his forcible removal from a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on March 4,2026. McGinnis, who is also a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, disrupted the hearing while senior military officials testified on military readiness. About 30 minutes into the session, McGinnis stood and shouted, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel.” Capitol Police moved quickly to remove him, during which McGinnis allegedly r

Brian McGinnis, 44, a Raleigh firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is facing multiple charges following his forcible removal from a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on March 4,2026. McGinnis, who is also a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, disrupted the hearing while senior military officials testified on military readiness.

About 30 minutes into the session, McGinnis stood and shouted, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel.” Capitol Police moved quickly to remove him, during which McGinnis allegedly resisted, getting his arm caught in a door. The struggle reportedly resulted in a broken arm for McGinnis and minor injuries to three officers. IMG_1890

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), himself a Marine veteran, assisted officers in removing McGinnis, stating the veteran was “fighting back” and that he intervened to help deescalate the situation.

McGinnis now faces three counts of assault on a police officer, three counts of resisting arrest, and one count of crowding, obstructing, and incommoding, charges related to blocking an entrance or passageway.

His campaign manager, Green Party official Mark Elbourno, defended McGinnis, asserting that he “wasn’t assaulting anybody” but simply “wanted to be heard speaking loud and clear.” The incident comes amid heightened tensions over the U.S.-Israel military campaign in Iran. McGinnis’ family has asked for privacy while he recovers.

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