In a dramatic and chaotic scene on Capitol Hill, Ben Cohen, co-founder of the famously progressive ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, was forcibly removed and arrested during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on Wednesday. The session featured testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but it was Cohen’s fiery protest that stole the headlines.
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. This was the authorities’ response. pic.twitter.com/uOf7xrzzWM
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) May 14, 2025
The incident unfolded shortly after the hearing commenced. Protesters erupted from the gallery, prompting Capitol Police to begin clearing the room. As the disruption escalated, Ben Cohen stood up directly behind Secretary Kennedy, shouting about U.S. funding for bombs and its impact on children in Gaza.
“Congress pays for bombs!” Cohen yelled, visibly agitated.
As he was escorted from the chamber, Cohen continued to shout, decrying what he described as the moral hypocrisy of cutting Medicaid for poor children in the U.S. while simultaneously funding military operations abroad.
“They’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the U.S.,” Cohen later wrote on X (formerly Twitter), alongside video footage of his outburst and removal.
According to NBC News, Cohen was one of seven individuals arrested during the hearing. The protest appeared coordinated, as multiple disruptions occurred in sequence, all centered around opposition to U.S. military aid and concerns about healthcare cuts. Capitol Police confirmed the arrests, though details on the specific charges have not yet been released.
NEW: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen has a meltdown on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before being thrown out of the hearing room.
If he is concerned about Americans’ health, he should look no further than Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
A pint of Ben & Jerry’s Milk &… pic.twitter.com/Qv4Aj26Mqh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 14, 2025
Cohen has long been a vocal activist, frequently using his platform to criticize U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel and Palestine, as well as to advocate for progressive domestic reforms. His ice cream company—though now owned by Unilever—has maintained a strong left-wing identity, previously halting sales in parts of Israel in protest of settlement expansions.
BREAKING: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder, Ben Cohen, has been arrested for disrupting a Senate hearing during HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s testimony. pic.twitter.com/WOmCiNmbJr
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) May 15, 2025
His latest protest highlights a growing rift among progressives over perceived contradictions in U.S. policy: spending billions on defense and foreign aid while tightening budgets on domestic social safety nets. The juxtaposition, as Cohen sees it, is not just misguided—it’s morally bankrupt.
