A U. S.
Air Force major was arrested by U. S.
Capitol Police on Wednesday on the steps of the U. S.
Capitol.
The officer, identified as Jason Watson, had just delivered a speech calling for the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Watson participated in a military uniform during a news conference organized by the grassroots activist group Removal Coalition.
Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas also attended the event.
According to the U. S.
Capitol Police, members of the public are barred from demonstrating on the House steps unless accompanied by a member of Congress.
Law enforcement said Watson had been escorted to the steps by a lawmaker who later left the area.
"The man refused our lawful orders and was then arrested for 22-1307 Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding," the U.
S. Capitol Police said in a statement.
Other locations on the Capitol grounds are designated for legal demonstrations.
Watson was given multiple commands to cease the unauthorized demonstration before officers took him into custody.
During his address, Watson criticized the Trump administration's recent military operations involving Venezuela and Iran, alongside its immigration enforcement measures.
He argued these actions breached multiple constitutional provisions.
"For this, the president and vice president must be impeached, convicted, and removed," Watson said in a video broadcast online by the Removal Coalition.
Public dissent within active-duty ranks remains rare due to regulations under Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
This article criminalizes contemptuous speech against top government leaders and bans uniforms at political rallies.
Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal Coalition, said Watson initiated contact via email and fully understood the severe professional and legal risks.
"We started having conversations and took this desire that he had to come out very seriously and thought about the best way to make his sacrifice worth it," Denson said.
Representative Al Green expressed immediate support for the officer following the demonstration.
"I just left the Capitol grounds, and I was there to witness a major in the United States military bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice," Green said.
He added that Watson stood firmly for impeachment before being removed by authorities.
A District of Columbia superior court official told CNN on Thursday that Watson is being released and the D.
C. attorney general will not file a formal case against him.
