Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has called for criminal charges against an anti-war activist following an altercation outside the US Capitol, saying physical confrontation should have no place in political protest. Speaking to TMZ on Wednesday, the Florida representative said she had recently given a statement to US Capitol Police regarding the incident, which allegedly occurred after a congressional hearing involving Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Luna said an organiser with the anti-war group CODEPINK approached her following the hearing and questioned her about her exchange with Rubio. “I was literally walking, trying to walk away from this person, and they smacked me,” Luna told TMZ.
The congresswoman alleged that the confrontation was linked to questions she had raised during the hearing about what she described as CODEPINK’s alleged foreign funding ties.
🇺🇸 TMZ just dropped video of the incident where Rep. Luna says a protester assaulted her.pic.twitter.com/KZMv6lFs3v
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 3, 2026
According to Luna, several activists surrounded her as she left the Rayburn House Office Building and continued confronting her as she attempted to leave the area.
Although she said she was not injured, Luna argued that the incident crossed a clear line. “You don’t touch anyone, especially if you don’t like what they’re saying. You cannot physically harm someone. You can’t hit them,” she said.
Luna said she had provided investigators with her account of the incident and claimed there was sufficient video footage and witness testimony to support potential legal action. She said she expected an arrest to be made.
In a statement, the US Capitol Police said: “For safety reasons, we cannot discuss any potential investigations.”
CODEPINK has not publicly responded to Luna’s allegations.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions over US foreign policy debates, which have prompted frequent demonstrations by activist groups on Capitol Hill.
