DONKEY: Senator Helps Capitol Police Forcefully Eject Anti-War Protester

Summary

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The Breakfast Club – Donkey of the Day: Senator Helps Capitol Police Forcefully Eject Anti-War Protester

Date: March 5, 2026
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Podcast: The Black Effect Podcast Network & iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

In this episode's "Donkey of the Day" segment, Charlamagne Tha God calls out U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy and the U.S. Capitol Police after they forcibly removed and injured Brian McGinnie, a Marine Corps veteran and Green Party Senate candidate, during a Senate hearing. McGinnie was protesting U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, exercising his First Amendment rights when the dramatic incident unfolded. The Breakfast Club hosts discuss the harsh treatment of veterans, the right to protest, and the broader implications for democracy and public dissent in America.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background of the Incident (03:36–04:32)

• Charlamagne introduces the story: Senator Tim Sheehy and Capitol Police receive the "Donkey of the Day" for their role in the forceful removal and injury of Brian McGinnie.

  • McGinnie, a Marine veteran and NC Senate candidate, wore his uniform and peacefully protested at a Senate hearing, objecting to U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.

  “Brian McGinn literally has his Marine uniform on, and he was exercising his First Amendment right while he peacefully protested.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [03:47]

• Audio excerpt of the Senate hearing is played, featuring police warnings and indications of protest (“No one wants to fight for Israel”).
  [04:32]

2. Treatment of Veterans in the U.S. (04:32–06:25)

• Charlamagne passionately critiques America's neglect of veterans after their service:

  • Veterans deserve “so much more”—free housing, healthcare, livable stipends; no one who served should be homeless or in need.
  • Watching a Marine, protesting war, being tackled and labeled “unhinged” is “infuriating” and indicative of systemic failures.

  “They should get free housing, free health care, a livable stipend every month. Our veterans shouldn’t have to want for anything, okay?”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [05:00]

• Senator Sheehy’s statement on Twitter is cited, calling McGinnie “an unhinged protester” and claiming to have “de-escalated” the situation.

  • Charlamagne rebuts: The senator only escalated things. Veterans’ lack of access to mental health services is part of the problem, not the protest.

  “Funny he would say that—when lack of access to mental health services are usually what contribute to the high suicide rates among veterans.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [06:10]

3. The Incident and Its Symbolism (06:25–09:30)

• The hosts replay audio where it’s heard that McGinnie’s hand is being injured.

  • Charlamagne summarizes: The police broke the Marine’s hand as he tried to hold onto a door, with witnesses calling out in concern.

  "A Marine, a man who fought for this country and doesn’t want his government answering to anyone but the American people, gets tackled and gets his hand broke for standing up for America.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [08:10]

• Pointed critique of U.S. military policy: Sending soldiers into war at the behest of foreign leaders or external interests, treating soldiers as “pawns.”

• Charlamagne laments the loss of civil debate and the rise of spectacle over substance in American politics:

  “When a senator and Capitol Police are helping to break a Marine’s hand in a congressional hearing, we’re not having a debate. We’re having a spectacle. And spectacles are great for viral videos, but terrible for democracy.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [08:40]

4. Final Rebuke and "Hee Haw" (09:30–09:44)

• Charlamagne asserts that both Senator Sheehy and the Capitol Police deserve the show’s signature “Hee Haw” (mocking bray for foolish actions), reiterating the call for accountability.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the treatment of veterans:
  “It should break your heart every time you see it. We shouldn’t be jacking that at all.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [05:20]

• On protest and America first:
  “What happened to America first?... We are pawns in whatever sick game these people are playing. It’s wrestling to them, real life for us.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [08:11]

• On the role of spectacle in politics:
  “When politics turns to WWE, everybody loses.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [08:15]

• Jess interjects as the audio of injury is replayed:
  “Ow.” – Jess [07:23]

• On civil discourse:
  “If this government put as much energy into fixing the country as they do into tackling protesters... America might actually get somewhere.”
  — Charlamagne Tha God [09:15]

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Segment Timestamps

• [02:42] Start of Donkey of the Day: Charlamagne introduces the topic and sets up the story.
• [03:36] Overview of incident and background on Brian McGinnie.
• [04:32] Audio from Senate hearing; protest and police response.
• [05:00–06:25] Extended critique of U.S. treatment of veterans and mental health discussion.
• [07:23] Replay of physical altercation audio and injury; Jess reacts.
• [08:10–08:40] Critique of current political culture, lack of debate, rise of spectacle over democracy.
• [09:36] “Hee Haw” award and closing remarks to the Donkey of the Day segment.

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Summary

This episode’s Donkey of the Day segment forcefully questions the priorities of American leadership, the persistent inadequacy in caring for veterans, and the troubling spectacle made of dissent and protest in the U.S. government. The hosts, especially Charlamagne Tha God, underscore the hypocrisy of thanking veterans for their service while meeting their public dissent with violence, reminding listeners of the foundational right to protest and the dangers of mistaking political theater for democracy.

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

Sometimes AT&T business, wireless connecting changes everything. This is America. There is no question that there are problems in this country between police and community. Yes, you are a donkey. The latest on that police killing of a black man. Now to new developments in the deadly spa shooting rampage. And yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did. And so we are in a state, state of emergency. Okay? White supremacist violence is and always has been the number one threat to our society. But I'm also very proud that my wife is white. To the Breakfast Club. All right, Charlene, please tell me, why was I your donkey of the day? Well, donkey Today for Thursday, March 5th goes to Senator Tim Sheehy. Am I saying. Am I saying his name wrong? Is it Sheehy?

[DJ Envy]

Sheehy, whatever.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I like Sheehy. I'm sure you do. Send it to Tim Shea, okay? And U.S. capitol Police. All right. That's. Who's getting donkey today. Today. For forcibly removing Brian McGinnie from a Senate hearing on Wednesday for protesting against the military action that America and Israel took on Iran. Now, I know you're probably saying, well, who is Brian McGinn? He's a green Party candidate running for Senate in North Carolina, and he's a US Marine Corps veteran. You have to go watch this video, man. Brian McGinn literally has his Marine uniform on, and he was exercising his First Amendment right while the peacefully protest. Do you want to hear the audio from the hearing? Let's listen. And nobody wants to fight for Israel. Capitol police will escort any protesters out of the hearing room.

[Jess]

Out.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No one asked for hearings for Israel. His hand. His hand. Oh, you. That's. We didn't play the part where the guy started screaming. He. His hand was broke. Put that back in there, man. Salute to all our veterans out there, man. Absolutely. You deserve so much more from this country, okay? I have gotten on this radio a million times over the years and told you how I hate this country treats its veterans, okay? If you have ever served this country, if you have fought a war for this country, when you come home, you should be treated like royalty, okay? They should get free housing, free health care, a livable stipend every month. Our veterans shouldn't have to want for anything, okay? Watching homeless veterans with signs telling us what war they fought in with a Dunkin Donuts cup asking for change should infuriate American citizens, okay? It should break your heart every time you see it. We shouldn't be jacking that up. Jacking that at all. And now a Marine veteran Okay. In uniform comes the protest against the war that Israel and America just waged on Iran. And he gets forcibly removed, tackled, and called unhinged by Senator Tim Sheehy. Or Sheehy. Okay, Tim wrote on Twitter, Capitol police were attempting to remove an unhinged protester. Unhinged protester. From the armed services hearing. Okay. He was fighting back. I decided to help out and. And de. Escalate the situation. Now he actually escalated the situation. Okay. The gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one. I hope he gets the help he needs without causing further violence. End quote. Funny he would say that. When lack of access to mental health services are usually what contribute to the high suicide rates among veterans. Fewer than 50% of returning veterans in need receive mental health treatment from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Why? Because the eligibility requirements are difficult to navigate. Because they are so complex. They should be simple. If you're served, you get all the mental health treatment you need. But this man Bryant doesn't need help, Senator. You do. Okay. And the Capitol Police do. Y' all the ones that look unhinged. You tackled a Marine who was protesting a war saying no one wants to fight for Israel, speaking to the accusations that Donald Trump only engaged in war with Iran because Bibi Netanyahu wanted him to. That gets you tackled and dragged out. And then when he holds onto a door to keep himself from being pulled away, and you hear, you know, a woman yelling for all of them to be aware of the Marine's hand, and then you hear a crack, you know, because you hear a crack because his hand is in the crack of the doorway. And then you hear a. A loud crack because apparently he broke his hand. That. No, nobody thinks that's crazy. Can we listen to it again?

[Jess]

Ow.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No one wants to fight for Israel. His hand. His hand. We still ain't had the. No, the part where they say he broke his hand. There you go. Eddie, come on, let's play. Let's play the extended version. Okay. How no one wants to fight for Israel. Oh, my God. Sir, thank you for your service. He broke his hand.

[DJ Envy]

How you say thanks for your service

[Charlamagne Tha God]

after you break my hand? After you broke my hand. A Marine, a man who fought for this country and doesn't want his government answering to anyone but the American people, gets tackled and gets his hand broke for standing up for America. What happened to America first? Okay, for all the soldiers who may have to go to Iran to fight for Bibi's war, Just know the administration sending you over there. It doesn't give a damn about you, okay? They will treat you exactly like they treated Brian. We are pawns in whatever sick game these people are playing. It's wrestling to them. Real life for us, okay? Real life for y', all, especially, all right? And when politics turns to wwe, everybody loses. Okay? What happened to debates? We can't have a healthy debate? You can't have a healthy debate with somebody who fought for this country. When a senator and Capitol Police are helping to break a Marine's hand in a congressional hearing, we're not having a debate. We're having a spectacle. And spectacles are great for viral videos, but terrible for democracy, okay? If this government put as much energy into fixing the country as they do in the tackling protesters, all right, who happen to be Marines, America might actually get somewhere. Please give Senator Tim Sheehy and the US Capitol Police the biggest hee Hawk. Now, Mimi Brown sent me a text, and she put S h e e dash H e e. So that looks like she to me. Okay. I don't know who that's what that looks like to me. That. So I must be pronouncing it right. Okay, send it to Tim.

[Podcast Announcer]

She.

[DJ Envy]

I. I don't think that text was for that, but. All right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hey, yo, that wasn't. She wasn't trying to give me the pronoun anyway.

[DJ Envy]

All right, well, thank you for that donkey today, man. When we come back, Jess, fix my mess. 800-585-1051. If you need relationship advice or any type of advice, you could call Jess right now. It's the Breakfast Club.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[VRBoCare Representative]

Day or night. VRBoCare is here 247 to help make every part of your stay seamless. If anything comes up or you simply need a little guidance, support is ready whenever you reach out. From the moment you book to the moment you head home. We're here to help things run smoothly because a great trip starts with the right support. And hey, a good playlist doesn't hurt either.

[DJ Envy]

That's right, it's DJ Envy.

[Jess]

It's your girl, Jess.

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[DJ Envy]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[Podcast Announcer]

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