Is “Freak Out” Ben & Jerry’s new seasonal ice cream flavor? The phrase “We scream for ice cream!” took on a wild twist after co-founder Ben Cohen joined a group of vocal protesters at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, raising controversy and decibels alike.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced his first congressional hearing since taking office, testifying on the agency’s proposed 2026 budget and its alignment with President Donald Trump’s agenda. Kennedy, with some of his stances on vaccines, has drawn fire from progressive groups, making his first Senate hearing a magnet for dissent. Barely into his opening statement, protestors wielding signs erupted, shouting, “RFK kills people with hate!” Startled, Kennedy turned toward the commotion, which persisted for over a minute.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), struck his gavel. “Members of the audience are reminded disruptions will not be permitted while the committee conducts its business,” he asserted. “Capitol Police are asked to remove the individuals from the hearing room.” As officers moved to eject the protestors, the chants continued. And though the exact wording remained unclear, some reports have suggested that protestors yelled, “RFK kills people with AIDS.”

Amid the uproar, Ben Cohen, whose Ben & Jerry’s halted sales in what he deemed occupied Palestinian territories in 2021, shifted focus to the Gaza conflict. While being escorted out by police, he clarified to reporters: “I said that Congress is paying to bomb poor kids in Gaza, and paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the U.S.” His words echoed the company’s progressive legacy, though they diverged from Kennedy’s budget testimony. So, while “Freak Out” may not be a Ben & Jerry’s flavor, Cohen’s protest ensured the hearing was anything but a vanilla affair.

In total, United States Capitol Police (USCP) confirmed to Fox News Digital that seven protestors were arrested — including Cohen — for obstruction. Fox reported that, according to USCP, “some of the arrestees were also charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, but they could not confirm how many of the other six were charged with these more severe crimes.”

Once the room settled, Cassidy jested that the scene “was a made-for-C-SPAN moment.” The hearing then resumed, and Kennedy was able to explain HHS’s goals for 2026. “First,” he said, “we aim to make America healthy again with a special focus on the chronic disease epidemic. Second, we committed to delivering more efficient, responsive, and effective service to over 100 million Americans who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. Third, we focus on achieving these goals by cutting costs for taxpayers and intend to do more — a lot more — with less.”

However, while Kennedy’s first major Senate hearing as HHS secretary laid out ambitious plans, the spotlight seems stuck on the protest led by Cohen and others. David Closson, director of Family Research Council’s Center for Biblical Worldview, contextualized Cohen’s actions within his decades-long activism. “Cohen has a history of political agitation for progressive causes,” Closson told The Washington Stand.

He cited Cohen’s 2016 arrest for advocating campaign finance reform, his support for Bernie Sanders with a custom ice cream flavor, and Ben & Jerry’s 2021 decision to halt sales in what Cohen called Israeli-occupied territories. “His disruption on Wednesday fits within this history,” Closson added, though he emphasized Cohen’s protest about Gaza was “completely unrelated” to Kennedy’s testimony on the 2026 health budget.

But while the protest stole this week’s headlines, Cohen’s actions reflect a broader pattern of activism, as Closson explained. “Over the last few years, corporate activism — in the name of DEI, woke policies, and LGBT-affirming initiatives — has created headaches for many,” he said, pointing to controversies like Bud Light’s partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney and Target’s LGBT-themed swimwear geared at kids.

Some companies have scaled back such initiatives as a result of conservative pushback and presidential orders. But Closson observed that Ben & Jerry’s continues to “virtue signal to what they perceive is a progressive customer base.” Whether this remains a savvy business move in 2025, he concluded, “remains to be seen” — specifically “in a country that is now weary of woke corporate activism.”

It appears Cohen’s outburst tried to make Kennedy’s hearing less about policy and more about the progressive fervor that has long defined his brand. If the company stays unshaken, perhaps a “Protest Praline” flavor might just swirl onto shelves next.