It was quite a week for Montana’s federal delegation with U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke bowing out of reelection for Montana’s western U.S. House District and then U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrawing from the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, who defeated incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Tester last November, is not up for reelection until 2030, but he somehow still managed to become more widely searched than his Republican peers in the federal delegation, according to Google search trends.
As Montana Free Press readers likely know by now, the former Navy SEAL Wednesday afternoon assisted Capitol Police in forcibly removing a protester from a Senate committee meeting in Washington, D.C. The videos circulating online have created lots of interest — and confusion. Did he break a U.S. Marine’s hand, as Reddit forums and many social media posts claim? Who, if anyone, will face charges?
In an attempt to counter misinformation and clarify some of this, here are some answers.
What actually happened? Did Sen. Sheehy break a U.S. Marine’s hand?
In a video circulating widely, a voice can be heard shouting, “A U.S. senator just broke the hand of a Marine.”
The part about a Marine’s hand and Sen. Sheehy being involved is absolutely true.
According to Military.com, the protestor wearing a military uniform, Brian McGinnis, is both a Marine Corps veteran and a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. (He’s also a father of four and a firefighter, according to his campaign website.)
In the videos, McGinnis appears at the door of a meeting room in the Hart Senate Office Building during a subcommittee hearing on military readiness. He shouts, “Israel is the reason for this war; America does not want to fight this war for Israel,” before officers work to remove him.
Sheehy can then be seen running up from the right and assisting officers as the protester appears to get his left hand stuck between the door and the frame before a cracking sound is heard. Officers were simultaneously pulling the protester’s body out the door while yelling at the protester to “let go.”
Whether the bones in McGinnis’ hand or another part of his arm were broken is unclear. A statement from the Capitol Police, shared by Sheehy’s office, said that after being removed, McGinnis received medical attention, but it did not specify his injuries.
On Thursday, McGinnis said his arm had been broken, not his hand. In a statement posted on X, he said, “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.”
Why was Sheehy there?
Sheehy is one of 27 lawmakers who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees legislation and budget matters related to the U.S. military and the Department of Defense. He was attending a hearing on general military readiness Wednesday, according to The New York Times. On his X account, Sheehy said he decided to help the officers “de-escalate the situation.”
“This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one,” Sheehy wrote. “I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence.”
What was McGinnis protesting?
McGinnis appeared to be protesting American involvement in the war in Iran.
According to the AP, McGinnis posted a video of himself in D.C. the morning before the committee meeting, where he said he was there to “speak out against the Senate,” and ask them why “they’re going to send our men and women to harm’s way.”
During the incident, he can also be heard shouting, “No one wants to fight for Israel.”
What is Sheehy’s stance on Israel and Iran?
The protestor was not targeting Sheehy, specifically, but since he’s now involved, his views are now being scrutinized.
Sheehy has endorsed U.S. and Israel military operations in Iran, with posts on his X account praising recent missile strikes and the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
“President Trump is putting an end to Iran’s 47-year reign of terror spent murdering and maiming Americans all over the globe. Time to finish the job,” he wrote on X March 3.
On Feb. 28, he posted a photo of himself lighting a cigarette with a burning image of Khamenei.
Sheehy also visited Israel in December 2024, and while running against Tester, he said that the U.S. should provide “unconditional support” to Israel in standing up to Iran.
What else do we know about the confrontation? Have charges been filed against anyone involved?
It seems unlikely that Sheehy will face criminal charges for his part in removing McGinnis from the chamber.
As of Friday, McGinnis’ X account posted that neither his wife nor his legal counsel has been allowed to see him in the hospital. Another recent post from his account shared a message to “Stand with Brian McGinnis.”
The U.S. Capitol Police does not seem likely to take any action against Sheehy either. The agency issued a statement regarding the protester’s removal: “This afternoon, an unruly man who started to illegally protest during a hearing put everyone in a dangerous position by violently resisting and fighting our officer’s attempts to remove him from the room.”
The statement added that McGinnis is facing three counts of assault on a police officer and three counts of resisting arrest and crowding, obstructing and incommoding. According to the statement from Capitol Police, three officers were injured during the ejection, although the statement didn’t provide details of the extent of their injuries.
How are people responding?
Many have been surprised by the incident.
“I’ve been in countless congressional hearings where protesters have been removed by Capitol Police, almost always peacefully,” AP News United Nations reporter Farnoush Amiri, said on her X account. “I have never seen a senator or lawmaker get involved like this and get physical with the protester.”
The Montana Democratic Party posted the video on its Facebook page, accompanied by a caption that condemns the Montana senator’s actions.
“Truly despicable behavior. No one asked for this war. Sheehy’s solution is to get physically violent with a Marine trying to save the lives of his countrymen. Shame,” the post stated.
On social media, responses run the gamut, with some congratulating Sheehy for ousting an unruly protester, clarifying that the door jamb — not Sheehy — broke the protester’s hand. Some urged McGinnis to sue Sheehy, suggesting that the congressman should be arrested for assault.
Who took the video?
Numerous videos of the incident have circulated on social media, including a video posted to X by CBS reporter Alan He, a video posted to TikTok by an account More Perfect Union, a nonprofit news media organization, and, more locally, a video posted to the Instagram page for Flathead Democracy, a political community group, that offers five-and-a-half minutes of the altercation.
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