Pete Hegseth Heckled as Protesters Shout 'We F*cking Hate You' and Call Him a 'War Criminal' at Army Event

Pete Hegseth faced repeated interruptions from anti-war protesters on Wednesday as demonstrators shouted 'We f*cking hate you! You're a f*cking war criminal!' during a panel on autonomous warfare at the Association of the US Army's 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, DC.

Footage shows the US Secretary of War seated on stage as protesters shouted during the livestreamed session. The event, held on 14 October, brought senior military officials together to discuss the Pentagon's plans for autonomous weapons and unmanned systems.

Hegseth Brushes Off Protesters

At least five people interrupted the session within its first 30 minutes. Some called Hegseth a war criminal and a coward, while others shouted about the war with Iran.

Hegseth answered the early heckling with laughter. As the outbursts continued a few minutes apart, he remarked, 'Appears we have a bit of a tactic,' and described the disruptions as semi-coordinated.

Security personnel removed demonstrators, including at least one woman who was carried from the hall while continuing to shout. Some audience members responded to the protesters by chanting 'USA, USA'.

Hegseth later insisted that Iran would never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. Despite the interruptions, the panel continued.

Project Agincourt and the Pentagon's Drone Plans

The discussion focused on Project Agincourt, a Pentagon initiative aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic military systems. The project's name refers to the Battle of Agincourt, fought in 1415, when English forces defeated a larger French army.

Hegseth appeared alongside Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, with other defence officials participating in the session.

The panel addressed how the military could expand its use of drones and other autonomous technologies, as well as the proposed command structure for overseeing their development.

Hegseth argued that the military needed a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command to co-ordinate autonomous capabilities across the services. 'We need this kind of authority yesterday,' he said.

Project Agincourt is intended to prepare the way for the command by accelerating development and testing while bringing military operators, engineers and companies together.

Hegseth named Owen West, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, and Navy SEAL Senior Chief Max Strasiser to lead Project Agincourt. West's role centres on strategy, resources and scaling up promising technologies, while Strasiser focuses on operational problems and how the systems perform in combat.

Pentagon Seeks Billions for Autonomous Warfare

The panel followed Hegseth's address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on 30 September, when he announced plans for an Autonomous Warfare Command intended to oversee drone development and autonomous robotic capabilities.

The proposed investment is substantial. The National reported that the Pentagon was seeking $54.6 billion (£41.5 billion) for autonomous-warfare development in its fiscal 2027 budget, compared with $226 million (£171.8 million) in the preceding fiscal year.

The funding request forms part of the Pentagon's broader push to expand autonomous capabilities, rather than an established budget for the proposed command alone.

During the Quantico address, Hegseth also described media coverage of the Iran war as 'a national betrayal', criticising journalists over their reporting on the conflict.

The Pentagon is targeting 1 October 2027 for the new command. Establishing it requires congressional authorisation, while lawmakers must separately decide how much funding to approve for the military's autonomous-warfare plans.