Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing for his nomination as Donald Trump's U.S. Secretary of Defense spiraled into chaos with multiple protesters disrupting the proceedings.

Check out the video ... Hegseth was thanking people for "literally and figuratively having my back" when, ironically, an elderly man behind him decided to air his differing opinion, calling him a misogynist before getting escorted out -- and the protest parade didn’t stop there.

At least three protesters were booted from the hearing room Tuesday morning, with one woman airing her grievances before being shown the door -- and another man dramatically carried out by U.S. Capitol Police.

As for Hegseth ... the former Fox News weekend anchor didn’t break a sweat -- he just patiently waited for the room to quiet down again before calmly picking up where he left off.

Looks like Hegseth may have expected the backlash, especially after stirring the pot with bold opinions like saying women should not serve in combat, and claiming military standards have been lowered for women to do so.

But, it seems Trump’s all in on Pete -- when he first picked him, he called Hegseth "tough, smart, and a true believer in America First."