Staff Reports
Protesters repeatedly interrupted Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth while he spoke on a Project Agincourt panel at the AUSA 2026 Annual Meeting & Exposition. They shouted anti-war slogans, accused him of being a “war criminal,” and were carried out by security one by one. Hegseth laughed at first, then pushed the panel back to the topic at hand: autonomous warfare and the Pentagon’s push to modernize our forces.
Protesters derail a high-level defense panel — briefly
The disruptions happened during the “Project Agincourt: Autonomous Warfare” session, a core discussion about unmanned systems and faster defense innovation. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared the stage with Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, and Assistant Secretary Derrick Anderson. Protesters were scattered through the room, shouted about Gaza and Iran, and forced security to remove them while the panel tried to continue.
Why the interruption matters for security and policy
AUSA is the Army’s biggest conference. This is where military leaders, industry and lawmakers talk about how to keep our troops safe. Interrupting that conversation is not a harmless stunt. Project Agincourt aims to speed up drones and autonomous systems that could save lives and keep America ahead of rivals. Letting protesters turn a discussion about defense into a reality TV moment does real harm to national security planning.
Credentials, decorum, and a growing pattern
There are real questions about how protesters got into a high-security event and how many were allowed to interrupt without consequences. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has faced protests before, but this venue should not be the place for political theater. AUSA organizers should tighten credentials and enforce decorum so experts can debate strategy without being shouted down. If you want to argue policy, do it with facts — not by dragging a defense conference into a shouting match.
Hegseth handled the interruptions and kept the focus on the Pentagon’s priorities: deter adversaries, prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and build the autonomous tools that matter in future fights. That’s what attendees came to hear. Protesters can yell on the sidewalk if they like, but they should not be allowed to hijack a forum where America’s defense leaders meet to plan for real threats. Let the military talk — and then let the voters decide.
