Ben Cohen, a co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, made headlines when he was forcefully escorted out of a Senate hearing for causing a disturbance during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony. The disruption was a protest against the US’s backing of Israel. 

As the Health and Human Services Secretary began to answer a question, the Senate floor erupted in chaos, and Cohen could be heard screaming. 

‘Congress sent the bombs that kill children in Gaza and pays it with cuts to Medicaid,’ he shouted.

Other protestors could be heard screaming that RFK kills people and holding up signs that were quickly ripped away by Capitol Police. 

One of the signs read, ‘RFK kills people with AIDS worldwide. RFK lies, people with AIDS Die.’ 

The signs were in reference to comments RFK made questioning the medically proven fact that the HIV virus causes AIDS. 

Police arrested several other protestors during the hearing and aggressively escorted them out. 

Senator Bill Cassidy, who leads the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, paused the hearing due to the chaos and instructed law enforcement to remove the disruptors. 

‘Hands off Medicaid! Congress kills,’ Cohen said as he was escorted out of the room.  

Video footage posted on social media from outside the hearing room revealed Cohen handcuffed as police escorted him down a hallway. 

One person filming the incident questioned Cohen about his arrest, to which he replied, “Congress supports the killing of underprivileged children in Gaza by purchasing weapons and funds it by… depriving low-income children of Medicaid in the US.” 

He then called on Congress to ‘let food into Gaza’ and ‘let food to starving kids!’

Cohen then shared a clip of the shocking interaction on his official X account and doubled down on his claims.

‘I told Congress they’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US,’ he wrote. 

‘This was the authorities’ response,’ he added, referring to the video. 

The Ben & Jerry’s co-founder also appeared at a rally earlier in the day to advocate for Palestinian rights alongside Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib. 

During the event, Cohen told demonstrators, ‘We are expected to be good Americans and look the other way as Israel prevents food, water, and medicine from reaching the remaining people of Gaza.’ 

He went on to accuse Israel’s government of ‘starving’ Palestinians to death and vowed to continue advocating for the US to end complicity. 

Tlaib spoke after Cohen and told him she purposefully buys Ben & Jerry’s to support his company even though she’s lactose intolerant.

Cohen has frequently demonstrated for progressive causes, and his company is known for activism. 

He has been a vocal critic of the US’s support for Israel, and Ben & Jerry’s ended sales to the country in 2021 out of protest for Israel’s occupation of Gaza. 

The heightened protests come as a Republican spending bill proposed cuts to Medicaid and continued financial support for Israel. 

Republicans advanced the tax bill on Wednesday, which includes cuts to Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars, according to Politico. 

The US Department of State announced in April that the US would continue security cooperation with Israel, noting that the two countries have 751 active Foreign Military Sales valued at $39.2 billion. 

While Cohen was in Washington DC protesting the US’s support for Israel, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. was questioned by Congress over his record in Trump’s cabinet. 

Democratic Senator Christopher Murphy slammed RFK for undermining the measles vaccine.

RFK was also asked about the cuts to staffing at his department, doubling down that the decisions were under his discretion and not Elon Musk.