Trump turns to an Oklahoma senator with a fighter's reputation as his
next choice to lead DHS
[March 06, 2026]
By SEAN MURPHY
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump's plans to nominate
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to take over as Homeland
Security secretary follow a notable political rise for the plumbing
company owner who was first elected to Congress in 2012.
Mullin, 48, has become one of Trump’s fiercest defenders in the U.S.
Senate and is now positioned to join his administration after the
president on Thursday fired embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi
Noem, who had come under mounting criticism over her leadership of the
department.
A former mixed-martial arts fighter and collegiate wrestler, Mullin has
earned a reputation as a fighter in the Senate and has grown friendlier
with Trump since they attended an NCAA wrestling event together in Tulsa
in 2023.
“Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security,”
Trump posted on his Truth Social account.
Mullin told reporters at the Capitol Thursday that he would get DHS
“focused on protecting the homeland.”
“No matter if you support me, you don’t support me, I’m going to be
laser-focused on getting that done,” he added.
Mullin's rise to U.S. senator
A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Mullin emerged from a crowded GOP
field in 2022 to win Oklahoma's vacant U.S. Senate seat. He was running
a successful plumbing company in Oklahoma — known for its red vans with
“The Red Rooter” logo on the side — when he first ran for the U.S. House
and painted himself as a political outsider fed up with government
regulations strangling businesses like his.
He ultimately won the seat representing Oklahoma’s sprawling 2nd
District, a rural seat that was once a Democratic stronghold but has
become increasingly conservative over the last decade.
A reputation as a fighter in Congress
His fiery exchanges in the Senate included a 2023 hearing with the head
of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, when Mullin told the
union leader to “stand your butt up," before standing from his seat and
appearing to take his ring off.
“If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults," Mullin
told Sean O'Brien, the union's president, with whom Mullin had
previously engaged in a back-and-forth on social media. "We can finish
it here.”
Months after his confrontation with O’Brien, the two reconciled. Mullin
called the union leader a “new friend.”
The interaction underscored how Mullin is one of Trump’s most aggressive
defenders in Congress and often spars with people on social media, but
also often is an affable presence in the Capitol. He’s known to walk the
halls in a cowboy hat and boots, sometimes bouncing a rubber ball as he
chats with reporters.
[to top of second column]
|
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., speaks with reporters on the steps
at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/J.
Scott Applewhite)
He’s also a conduit between the White House and Senate Republican
leadership and maintains relationships from his days in the House.
He still leads workout sessions sometimes in the House gym.
At the State of the Union last month, Mullin took a swipe at a sign
held by Rep. Al Green that said “Black people aren’t apes”, a
reference to a racist video the president posted that depicted
former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as
primates in a jungle.
During the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Mullin made
headlines when he attempted to enter the country from multiple
locations and was denied. Mullin said he was trying to help an
American family flee Afghanistan.
Mullin has faced some criticisms
Mullin initially vowed to only serve three terms in Congress, a
promise he later broke when he announced plans to run again, saying
then that he “didn't understand politics” when he originally made
the initial pledge.
Mullin also has faced criticism for receiving at least $1.8 million
from a federal rescue program designed to keep small businesses
afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Data from the U.S. Treasury Department showed four separate
businesses owned by Mullin received a total of between $800,000 and
$1.9 million from the Paycheck Protection Program. A Mullin
spokeswoman said at the time the congressman was not involved in the
day-to-day operations of the companies and referred questions to the
companies’ chief financial officer.
Cherokee Nation leader praises Mullin
Mullin has supported legislation important to tribal citizens and
advocated for tribal sovereignty, and he stumped for Trump in 2024,
describing the president as strong on issues affecting Native
communities.
“It is deeply encouraging to have someone with a keen understanding
of federal Indian policy, law and justice elevated to such a
critical leadership role within a powerful federal agency,” Cherokee
Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said Thursday.
As a tribal citizen, Mullin could address recent allegations that
members of federally-recognized tribes have been targeted by ICE
officers, including some documented cases of their detainments and
arrests.
____
Associated Press reporter Graham Brewer in Norman, Okla.,
contributed to this report.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
