Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s affirmation listening to started with a private confrontation between fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul as Mullin seeks to take over the Division of Homeland Safety from its embattled chief, Kristi Noem.
Paul, the Senate Homeland Safety Committee chairman, sparred with Mullin over feedback the Oklahoma senator reportedly made earlier this year concerning Paul’s voting document and assault by a neighbor in Kentucky in 2017.
Chairman Sen. Rand Paul delivers a gap assertion throughout a affirmation listening to for Sen. Markwayne Mullin to be the subsequent Secretary of the Division of Homeland Safety, March 18, 2026 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
“You informed the media that I used to be a ‘freaking snake’ and that you simply fully understood why I had been assaulted,” Paul stated.
Paul additionally pointed to Mullin’s earlier public confrontations and temperament, including that Mullin had “low impulse management.”
“Inform the world why you imagine I should be assaulted from behind, have six ribs damaged and a broken lung. Inform me to my face why you assume I deserved it. And when you’re at it, clarify to the American public why they need to belief a person with anger points,” Paul stated.
Paul questioned, “I simply marvel if somebody who applauds violence towards their political opponents is the best individual to steer an company that has struggled to just accept limits of the right use of power.”
Earlier than making his opening assertion, Mullin fired again.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, nominee to be Secretary of Homeland Safety, testifies throughout a Senate Committee on Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 18, 2026.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
“I stated I may perceive, due to the conduct, you have been having, that I may perceive why your neighbor … did what he did,” Mullin stated. “So far as my time period of ‘snake within the grass,’ sir, I work round this room to attempt to repair issues. I’ve labored with many individuals on this room. It looks as if you battle Republicans greater than you’re employed with us.”
Mullin, who President Donald Trump earlier this month tapped to take over the agency from Noem, requested Paul to let him earn his respect and stated he could be secretary for all Individuals.
Paul later performed the tense second at a November 2023 Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions Committee listening to when Mullin stood up from his seat and appeared to prepare to physically fight Teamsters Union President Sean O’Brien in addition to a montage of Mullin’s responses to the incident.
“I get it — it is about character assassination for you,” Mullin stated to Paul. “That is the best way this sport is performed. I perceive it. And you make this about you, which is ok.”
Sean O’Brien, Basic President of the Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters, appears on as Sen. Markwayne Mullin testifies throughout a Senate Committee on Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 18, 2026.
Oliver Contreras/AFP through Getty Photos
Mullin famous that O’Brien, sitting straight behind him, got here to the listening to on Wednesday as a “shut buddy.”
“As you possibly can discover over my shoulder is my good buddy, Sean O’Brien. Each of us have had conversations and shaken palms and agreed we may have achieved issues totally different,” Mullin stated. “Sean has turn out to be an in depth buddy. We discuss on a regular basis. I’ve been on his podcast. It’s the way you deal with your variations. Not like this, chairman.”
Paul informed ABC Information Capitol Hill Correspondent Jay O’Brien on Wednesday that he is planning to carry a committee vote to advance Mullin’s affirmation out of the committee on Thursday — throughout which, Paul stated he’ll vote no. Which means Mullin nonetheless wants at the very least one Democratic vote to advance — and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman stated he is open to being that vote.
Fetterman beforehand stated he was inclined to help Mullin, and Wednesday’s listening to did not change that, he informed reporters.
Mullin pressed on Pretti feedback
Lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Safety Committee grilled Mullin, who has no regulation enforcement expertise, all through the day because the division he is in search of to steer stays shut down as a consequence of a funding stalemate, with no clear finish to that shutdown in sight.
Mullin’s listening to got here as elements of DHS — from the Federal Emergency Administration Company to the Transportation Safety Administration — are shut down amid a funding battle over Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Democrats have stated they are going to fund the division provided that modifications are made to the company within the wake of the capturing deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal regulation enforcement in Minneapolis earlier this 12 months.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin testifies throughout a affirmation listening to to be the subsequent Secretary of the Division of Homeland Safety, March 18, 2026 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
Sen. Gary Peters, the rating member of the committee, pressed Mullin over his feedback following the killing of Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse who was shot by federal brokers throughout a protest in January.
After Pretti’s demise, Mullin echoed initial statements from Noem and White House deputy chief Stephen Miller, calling Pretti “a deranged person who got here in to trigger max injury.”
Noem later walked again her feedback, claiming she didn’t have the entire details on the time.
“I believe I stated this privately after we had a dialog. These phrases most likely ought to have been retracted. I should not have stated that,” Mullin stated to Peters, including he was “responding instantly with out the details.”
“That is my fault. That will not occur as secretary,” Mullin stated.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, nominee to be Secretary of Homeland Safety, testifies throughout a Senate Committee on Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 18, 2026.
Evan Vucci/Reuters
When Peters requested Mullin if he would apologize to Pretti’s household for his feedback, Mullin harassed that the investigation into the capturing was ongoing.
“We’ll let the investigation undergo, and if I am confirmed fallacious, then I’ll, completely,” he stated.
Mullin requested about journey after ‘scent’ of struggle feedback
Peters requested Mullin, who just isn’t a veteran, about his comments to Fox News earlier this month the place he advised he is aware of what struggle “smells” like. Mullin admitted to Peters that he had by no means been in a foreign country for something apart from mission work and holidays.
Peters requested in regards to the journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan that was listed within the FBI report on Mullin, however the nominee stated these 2021 journeys have been categorised.
“So the place did you scent struggle?” Peters requested.
“Sir, I simply stated that this was categorised,” Mullin responded.
Senator Markwayne Mullin, nominee to be Secretary of Homeland Safety, testifies throughout a Senate Committee on Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs affirmation listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 18, 2026.
Oliver Contreras/AFP through Getty Photos
Mullin on elections, FEMA
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin requested Mullin about Trump’s controversial suggestion that Republicans “nationalize” elections and requested Mullin if he supported placing armed brokers at polling stations.
“The one motive why my officers could be there, if there was a selected risk for them to be there, not for intimidation,” Mullin stated.
Mullin appeared to counter the messaging of his predecessor when it got here to Federal Emergency Administration Company and stated the company “must be restructured not eradicated.”
After the Senate Homeland Safety Committee vote on Thursday, if his nomination is confirmed, it will then head to the Senate ground the place he might be confirmed as quickly as subsequent week.
It’s all however sure that Mullin can be confirmed as DHS secretary on the Senate ground.
ABC Information’ Allison Pecorin and Jay O’Brien contributed to this report.
