Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) was briefly caught in a physical altercation with a demonstrator Thursday near the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill.
The encounter began when the protester confronted the Tennessee lawmaker over his stance on the ongoing war in Gaza. After the individual made physical contact, Burchett reacted by pushing the protester.
A spokesperson for the congressman, Will Garrett, remarked afterward: “Everyone has a right to their opinion, and they can say all of the filthy stuff they want. But they don’t have the right to bump the congressman.” U.S. Capitol Police questioned the protester following the incident, though the department declined to issue further comment, according to reports.
The altercation comes as Washington has seen a steady stream of demonstrators focusing on the Israel–Hamas conflict. Many protesters have gathered outside media offices near the Capitol complex, displaying images from Gaza and calling attention to civilian casualties and food shortages in the region.
Burchett has consistently voiced strong support for Israel. Last year, he introduced a resolution opposing a United Nations move to list the Israeli military among violators of children’s rights. At the time, he argued that “Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East” and that Hamas “hides behind innocent civilians.”
Earlier this year, Burchett reintroduced his “No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act” to block U.S. taxpayer money from reaching the Taliban through international aid programs. He warned that upwards of $40 million a week continues to flow into Afghanistan under the guise of humanitarian assistance, citing reports from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) that the Taliban has siphoned or taxed a significant portion.
The legislation would require the State Department to prevent any aid from being diverted to the Taliban and to account for cash infusions to Afghanistan’s central bank. Burchett credited former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan and an Afghan-American Army veteran known as “Legend” with bringing the issue to his attention.
The Tennessee Republican is no stranger to confrontation, especially when it comes to issues in the Middle East. In 2022, he walked out of a Capitol Hill meeting with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, calling the presentation propaganda tied to Saudi interests. A year earlier, he was among House Republicans who called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to resign over what they described as a “fatally flawed” U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Burchett said left the blood of 13 service members on the administration’s hands.
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