Rubio brushes off demonstrators who erupted in Senate hearing: ‘I get bilingual protesters’

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who was tapped to lead the Department of State under the second Trump administration, was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during his Senate hearing on Wednesday. 

One female protester was heard shouting at Rubio in Spanish, while at least two men, including one wearing pink, were seen being pulled out of the hearing by Capitol Police after shouting. 

“I get bilingual protesters,” Rubio quipped after a protester yelled at him in Spanish, earning laughter from the crowd.

Ahead of the hearing kicking off on Wednesday morning, Fox News Digital spotted Code Pink protesters wearing bright pink with shirts reading, “hands of Iran,” and “stop killing the children of Gaza.” They also sported anti-Rubio stickers on their headbands and hats.

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Protesters were warned by the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of the hearing kicking off to not disrupt proceedings, saying they will be removed from the hearing and won’t be permitted back to a public hearing for at least a year. 

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“Distractions will include not only noise, not only standing up, not only holding up painted hands, painted signs. None of that will be allowed. If you do that, I’m going to pause the committee. I’m going to ask our friends, first of all, my, my faithful, Sergeant at Arms here — who’s, perhaps, tougher than the Capitol Police. But also the Capitol Police to assist. And, we will pause briefly … If you are removed, you’ll not be permitted back into one of these public hearings for at least 12 months. And, that’s the purpose of this is, as I’ve stated, and it’s important work,” Republican Idaho Sen. James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in opening remarks. 

A handful of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for his cabinet are facing Senate hearings this week ahead of his inauguration on Monday. 

Department of Energy nominee Chris Wright’s confirmation hearing was also interrupted by protesters on Wednesday, who shouted if his policies will “put out the fires in LA.”

Protesters also interrupted Pete Hegseth’s senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, when he joined the Senate Armed Services Committee, when he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense. 

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“Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza,” one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. 

“Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel’s war in Gaza. I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said. 

“I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,” Hegseth responded.