Published:  12:48 EDT, 14 October 2026   |  Updated:  14:05 EDT, 14 October 2026   Multiple protesters erupted in shouts decrying Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as a 'war criminal' and a 'Nazi' at a military conference on Wednesday. While speaking at the Army conference in Washington, DC, Hegseth was interrupted with screams at least five times during the first 30 minutes of his panel. 'You’re not a warrior you’re a coward!' one yelled, appearing to accuse the secretary of 'killing children in Gaza when children in America are starving.''She thinks highly of me,' Hegseth quickly shot back, eliciting brief applause from the crowd.  'You're a f***ing war criminal,' another protester yelled. 'You're a Nazi!' At first, Hegseth coolly shrugged off the initial batch of agitators. But as the repeated outbreaks of dissent continued, President Donald Trump's Pentagon boss looked increasingly flustered. 'I think this is a semi-coordinated effort,' one of the panelists remarked. Hegseth, looking frustrated, agreed.  Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was viciously interrupted by protesters multiple times while speaking at an Army conference on Wednesday morning Authorities were forced to drag out one protester by hoisting her by her arms and legs after she refused to cooperate Protesters screamed that Hegseth is a 'war criminal' and a 'Nazi' during the eventThe six men on stage, including the secretary, remained silent as the protesters were led out of the room while still shouting 'war criminal!' Read MoreThe protesters were positioned throughout the conference room and waited minutes for authorities to escort out their fellow demonstrators before piping up themselves. A routine set in where once the panel resumed, another anti-war outburst would shortly follow. 'Appears we have a bit of a tactic,' Hegseth said after picking up on the pattern. One female protester was so agitated that she refused to cooperate with authorities and had to be carried out of the event, held up by her arms and legs.  The panel included Hegseth, Acting Secretary Adam Telle, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and Assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Derrick Evans. The topic of the remarks focused on Project Agincourt, the Pentagon's effort to develop and deploy autonomous military weapons and systems. While anti-war protesters have long targeted Hegseth, the outbreak at the Army conference underscores his unpopularity.  The panel with Hegseth was interuppted at least five different times within the first half hour 'Appears we have a bit of a tactic,' Hegseth said after picking up on the pattern of protesters breaking out in screams after the previous demonstrator had been whisked away  The Secretary of War is expected to be the next Cabinet member to exit the Trump administration, according to the latest Daily Mail/YouGov survey released last week. While most respondents, 51 percent, indicated they are not sure who will leave next, 11 percent of respondents indicated that Hegseth will be the next one headed for the exit. Read MoreAfter Hegseth, 8 percent of respondents said FBI Director Kash Patel is the next most likely to depart. The third most likely Cabinet member expected to leave is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. Given the seven-month-long war in Iran and a slew of negative headlines targeting the Pentagon and US forces, Hegseth has faced headwinds in recent months. Those headwinds have appeared in recent polling on the Pentagon boss's approval.A September survey from Marquette University's Law School found just 25 percent of Americans view Hegseth favorably, while nearly half of respondents viewed the secretary unfavorably. A recent poll from Quinnipiac found a similar result: under one in three, 32 percent, approve of Hegseth, while 57 percent disapprove of his performance. Surveys have also found that Trump's war against Iran is broadly unpopular, with a recent Gallup survey finding just one in three Americans approve of the president's handling of the conflict. As Trump's Pentagon boss, Hegseth has absorbed much of the ire for the war as the public face of the War Department.