A Senate confirmation hearing took a sharp personal turn on Wednesday as Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) confronted Markwayne Mullin, the nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, over previous comments regarding a 2017 assault on Paul. The exchange centered on Mullin’s alleged support for the neighbor who attacked Paul, an incident that left the Kentucky senator with six broken ribs and long-term lung damage.
The friction stems from remarks Mullin reportedly made during a February 14 breakfast event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to reports from the McGrath Breakfast Group, Mullin allegedly referred to Paul as a “freaking snake” for his voting record and suggested he understood why Paul’s neighbor tackled him. During his opening statement before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Paul argued that such rhetoric should disqualify anyone from leading an agency tasked with domestic security and the proper use of force.
“I was shocked that you would justify and celebrate this violent assault,” Paul told the committee. “It caused me so much pain and my family so much pain. 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.”
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Paul further accused Mullin of dishonesty regarding their past interactions. He disputed Mullin’s claim that the nominee had expressed these views to Paul’s face. “You went on to brag that you’d already told me, to my face, that you completely understood and approved of the assault. Well, that’s a lie,” Paul said. “You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified. So today you’ll have your chance.”
Mullin did not offer an apology during the proceedings. Observers noted that the nominee appeared unconcerned with securing Paul’s specific vote for confirmation. The 2017 attack by Rene Boucher resulted in Paul having part of his lung surgically removed in 2019 due to complications from pneumonia and his injuries.
The confirmation math remains tight. If Paul votes against the nomination, Mullin will require at least one Democratic vote to reach the necessary threshold. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) indicated on Friday that he intends to vote in favor of Mullin’s confirmation.
Mullin was tapped for the role on March 5 by the President to replace former nominee Kristi Noem. The transition occurred after reports surfaced that the administration was dissatisfied with Noem’s performance during her own rounds of congressional questioning.
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