Secretary of State Antony Blinken's farewell news conference on Thursday was eclipsed by chaos after he was interrupted multiple times by outbursts from two attendees, one of whom was forcibly removed from the State Department's briefing room as Blinken tried to speak.
Several times during Blinken's opening remarks, two members of the audience repeatedly interjected with shouted questions about U.S. support for Israel and conditions in Gaza, and, at times, personal attacks aimed at Blinken and other State Department officials.
Blinken tried to quiet the room, repeatedly saying he looked forward to answering questions once he completed his prepared speech.
"We'll have an opportunity to take questions in just a few minutes," he said.
One of the hecklers, the founder and editor of the Grayzone website, Max Blumenthal, was led out of the room by two State Department staff members.
The other, political writer Sam Husseini, refused to leave -- telling a State Department official who asked him to exit to "go away."
TVNL Comment: Blinken belongs in the Hague, as one of these two journalists shouted out. His complicity in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians will be his legacy.