Hillary Clinton attempted to quiet a theatrical heckler this week in a tense exchange that lasted several minutes. (Watch the videos below.)
Appearing on a panel for the Institute for Global Politics at Columbia University on Monday, Clinton got an earful from the protestor about a half-hour into the event.
The man, identified as Robert Castle of the Schiller Institute think tank, began pestering Clinton about her support for “war-mongering” President Joe Biden while playing to the crowd as he stood up.
The persistent demonstrator said Biden’s $100 billion aid request to help Israel, Palestinians in Gaza and Ukraine was a rush to World War III.
“I’m sorry,” he said of his interruption.
“Well, I’m not sorry. You sit down,” the former secretary of state and first lady shot back.
“I know you’re not sorry. That’s the point,” he retorted, repeating a request for comments on Biden’s recent prime-time speech to pitch for the funding.
“This is not the way to have a conversation,” she said. She invited the man to talk to her afterward. “I do not believe you,” he replied.
Undaunted, the man yelled, “The American people’s voices are what need to be heard.”
“That’s my opinion,” he said.
“Well, then sit down. We’ve heard your opinion, thank you very much,” Clinton sniped.
The man said he was exercising his free speech. “It’s not free speech when you’re disrupting everybody else’s opportunity to speak,” she clapped back.
His voice cracking, he went on a tangent about Eleanor Roosevelt and John Foster Dulles, eating away at Clinton’s patience. She then tried to introduce Ugandan activist Frank Mugisha, “who’s actually on the front lines fighting for human rights, not just yelling about it.”
Castle kept up his volume and said the stakes were not like a football game or Team America.
“I’m sorry, but some of us are on Team America despite our flaws,” Clinton said to applause.
Finally, historian and Clinton adviser Allida Black had enough, telling Castle, “What have you done other than stand up and disrupt?”
Fast-forward to 35:00 for the exchange, or watch the standoff from the perspective of the heckler at the bottom.