Sen. Rand Paul, the chair of the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, questioned Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s ability to lead the Department of Homeland Security from the jump of his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, making an issue of Mullin’s response to a violent attack Paul was the victim of.
“Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it, and while you’re at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents,” Paul told Mullin. “Explain to the American public how a man who has no regrets about brawling in a Senate committee can set a proper example for over 250,000 men and women who work at the Department of Homeland Security.”
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The Republican senator from Kentucky was assaulted in 2017 by a neighbor in his backyard and had multiple ribs broken in addition to a damaged lung. Mullin’s past remarks included that he “completely” understood why Paul was physically assaulted.
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Paul also brought up Mullin’s behavior at a 2023 committee hearing as an example of the nominee’s “anger issues.” Then, Mullin challenged a witness, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, to a brawl, telling him, “This is the time, this is the place,” to settle their disagreements.
Paul played video of the 2023 exchange, and Mullin’s subsequent TV appearances defending his behavior, for the committee.
“If this were a one-off, it would be one thing,” Paul said before playing a compilation of the hearing and subsequent media appearances. “If you just disliked me so much that you approved of the violence against me, people could just write it off, maybe they hate each other. But really, there’s a pattern of this.”
Mullin responded by pointing out that he is now friends with O’Brien. Paul asked if Mullin thought political disputes can “sometimes and often only be resolved by violence.”
“I don’t believe in political violence,” Mullin responded. “I’ve made that very clear.”
“Sir, I get it, it’s about character assassination for you. I get it, that’s the way this game is played. I understand it, and you are making this about you, which is fine,” Mullin said before being interrupted by Paul.
Mullin is currently being considered to lead DHS following the ouster of Kristi Noem earlier this month. If confirmed, Mullin would oversee a department that has been shut down for more than a month and one that has been the subject of contention over immigration agents’ aggressive use of force and difficulties accessing disaster relief funds.
“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul said.
Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan was quick to praise Paul for bringing this up at the hearing.
“I want to thank Chairman Paul for speaking so openly about a really difficult thing, which is the actual physical impact of violence, and in this case, political violence,” Hassan said. “It is a hard thing to do, but it is a really important thing to do at this point in our country’s history, so thank you, chairman.”
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