Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Video Shows GOP Congresswoman’s Alleged Assault Based On Barely A Hand Graze By Left-Wing Activist

[Screenshot/X: TMZ]

Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna alleged Wednesday that she was assaulted by a left-wing activist who appeared to tap her arm.

Footage of the incident showed Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK, sparring with Luna about foreign policy and lightly hitting her arm. Luna alleged she was smacked and said she would seek to have Benjamin’s organization banned from the Capitol.

“After I questioned Secretary Rubio on Code Pink and their ties to the [Chinese Communist Party], their organization followed me out, berated me, and then their head person here in DC smacked me,” Luna said. “Btw these are not ‘allegations.’ It happened. My staff was there when it happened and wrote statements for LEO.”

Luna’s office declined to comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Btw these are not “allegations”. It happened. My staff was there when it happened and wrote statements for LEO.

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) June 3, 2026

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday, Luna questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio about CODEPINK’s alleged foreign funding ties, particularly to Neville Roy Singham, an American millionaire living in China who is linked to left-wing causes. She alleged that Singham gave $1.3 million to CODEPINK and over>$270 million to various nonprofits since 2017. Rubio stated there is “no doubt” that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other countries were funding left-wing causes in the U.S. 

After the hearing, Benjamin followed Luna and claimed that Rubio was hurting the Cuban people. The left-wing activist then appeared to tap Luna’s arm as she asked the congresswoman, “when was the last time you were in Cuba?”

The congresswoman told TMZ that CODEPINK tried to block her from voting and that Benjamin “smacked” her.

“I was literally walking to walk away from this person and they smacked me,” Luna said. “They smacked my arm. I mean, look, either which way, 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, you can’t block people from being able to vote.”

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna reveals to @jacob_wass that she was assaulted during the Capitol Hill protest. 😳 pic.twitter.com/MbE7SbnaIM

— TMZ (@TMZ) June 3, 2026

Luna also called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to ban CODEPINK.

“I have asked the Speaker to ban Code Pink. I was just physically hit by their head organizer. This is right after I questioned Secretary Rubio about them. It is time Speaker Johnson ban them,” Luna said in a separate statement.

CODEPINK posted the video and claimed that nobody committed any violent act against Luna.

“Nobody hit her,” CODEPINK said. “Instead of answering for the war crimes she supports, this AIPAC-funded congresswoman continues to lie about activists.”

Nobody hit her.

Instead of answering for the war crimes she supports, this AIPAC-funded congresswoman continues to lie about activists. https://t.co/tIWMmzPHsl pic.twitter.com/nkVzfE30oI

— CODEPINK (@codepink) June 3, 2026

The Florida congresswoman responded that CODEPINK “crossed a personal boundary” and that they would be “flipping out” if she had laid a hand on her.