Editor’s note: On March 4th, 2026, the sound of US Marine veteran Brian McGinnis’ fracturing bones echoed through the shame-soaked halls of Congress. Brian’s campaign manager, Mark Elbourno, a Palestinian American from Gaza, shared this stirring first-hand account, republished with permission.
๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ ฬฒ๐ฟฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ ฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ ฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ: ฬฒ๐ฐฬฒ ฬฒ๐ตฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ-ฬฒ๐ทฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ ฬฒ๐ฐฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒฬฒ๐ฬฒ The air in the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing room on March 4, 2026, was heavy with the sterile, bureaucratic scent of old wood and high-stakes tension. I sat there with a singular mission, but more importantly, with an immense sense of honor.
As the ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ for two of the most dedicated veterans our nation has produced ๐๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐ฅ. (๐๐๐ญ.) ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ, a 25-year veteran and Green Beret (Green Party Candidate for US House District 13), and ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ฌ (Green Party Candidate for US Senate in NC). I felt a surge of somber pride. These are the “best of our best,” men who have seen the visceral cost of conflict firsthand. We werenโt there for ceremony; we were there to convince the Senate to reclaim its power and limit the Presidentโs ability to involve the U.S. in foreign wars that do not serve our people.
We were attending the hearing on the Department of Defense Budget Request. I had hoped that the sight of decorated veterans would force the senators to look past their talking points and see the human lives at the end of their “Yes” votes.
The quiet was shattered when Brian stood up. His voice, forged in the Marines, cut through the room: “๐๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ!”
Before he could even finish his thought, two Capitol Police officers moved in. They grabbed him, attempting to drag him out. But Brian is a Marine; he stood like a mountain. Then, the situation turned absurd. Senator Tim Sheehy suddenly bolted from his seat, racing toward the door under the guise of “helping,” despite the fact that Capitol Police are more than capable of handling any situation without interference.
In the chaotic scramble exacerbated by Sheehyโs unnecessary meddling. Brian was pinned. Four officers now had hold of him. In the crush of the doorway, as Sheehy pushed himself into the fray, Brianโs arm became wedged. There was a sickening, audible snap that echoed through the entire room.
Brian didn’t stop. Even with the pain of a broken arm, he kept his focus: “๐๐จ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ!”
As the reality of the injury set in, Sheehy beat a hasty retreat to his seat. The silence of the room was gone, replaced by the shouts of attendees calling him a “coward” and a “fat ass” for breaking the arm of a veteran instead of appreciating his service. It was a jarring image: a senator, who has accepted over $๐๐๐,๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐, physically contributing to the injury of a veteran who dared to question the billions we funnel into foreign interests.
I looked around that room and realized the scale of the betrayal. Our priority should be the men and women who wore the uniform, yet here was a veteranโs arm being broken in the halls of the Capitol. Our government spends billions on Israel while our own people struggle for healthcare, education, and housing infrastructure.
When will we finally have a government that focuses on our needs before spending our own taxes outside our country?
Editors note: Now is the time to support the 3 brave North Carolina Green Party candidates featured in the graphic at the bottom of Mark Elbourno’s tweet, these 3 veterans, who are doing what they can to fight for a green future for all Americans, for all of humanity, and for the planet we all call home. Learn more about Brian McGinnis’ campaign for U.S. Senate, Anthony Aguilar’s campaign for North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District, and Michael Dublin’s campaign for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District.