Mullin faces explosive DHS hearing as Rand Paul feud, Dem skepticism threaten path

As the Senate moves quickly to confirm him to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Sen. Frustration, friendship and questions of temperament dominated Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky. The hearing he led began with a tense exchange between him and Mullin and ended with questions about whether the committee would hold a confirmation vote.

President Donald Trump appointed Mullin to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The Senate has little time to move forward in the process, given Trump has set a March 31 deadline to appoint Mullin as the next Homeland Security chief.

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Paul plans to oppose him, meaning his candidacy will be slowed significantly if Mullin fails to gain support from Democrats on the panel.

It was fast, it was explosive, and it was marred by the DHS shutdown, which entered its 33rd day Wednesday. Below are the key moments from the exchanges that will decide whether Mullin gets the job of running the embattled agency.

‘Say it to my face’

The hearing opened with fireworks over Mullin’s comments that Paul’s attack in 2017, which left him with several broken ribs and the removal of part of his lung, was “justified”.

Paul accused Mullin of “not having the courage to look me in the eye and say the attack was justified.”

“I wonder whether someone who applauds violence against his political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that struggles to recognize the limits of the appropriate use of force,” Paul said.

Mullin hit back before moving on to his opening statement, saying Paul called him a “liar” and adding that “everyone in this room knows I’m very blunt, direct and clear.”

“And if I have something to say, I’ll say it straight to your face. If you remember, back in my House days, we actually had this conversation because of my words.”

“You were in a room. I just told you this,” he continued. “I said I could understand why your neighbor did this because of the behavior you had.”

‘These remarks probably should have been retracted’

The panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., pressed Mullin on her charge that Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, was “an unstable individual who came out to cause maximum damage.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. and Gary Peters, D-Mich., grilled Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., during his confirmation hearing to become the next DHS chief. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Can we expect such quick responses if you are confirmed as Secretary?” said Peters. “Would you basically respond as Secretary Noem, are we going to expect the same behavior again?”

Mullin did not object to Peters’ question.

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“Those remarks probably should have been retracted,” Mullin said. “I shouldn’t have said that. If I were the secretary, I wouldn’t have said it. The investigation is ongoing.”

“And like I said, sometimes mistakes happen, and I accept that. I got there too quickly. I was reacting on the fly, without the facts,” he continued. “This is my fault. As secretary, this won’t happen.”

Fetterman leaves Democrats

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is no stranger to going against his own party and will likely do so again during Mullin’s confirmation vote.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks with a reporter as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol for a vote on Dec. 3, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

The two became friends during a congressional delegation trip and have maintained that relationship ever since.

And he knows he will likely be the key vote in confirming his colleague.

“I came here and committed to coming with an open mind and will continue to do so. For me, this will not be about moments to capture. My experience with you has been consistent and professional,” Fetterman said.

But Fetterman also took some time to criticize his party for continuing to block DHS funding, noting that he is “the only Democrat who refuses to shut down our DHS.”

“It’s a strange commitment. I don’t understand why you would shut down the entire agency just because you want these kinds of reforms on ICE that have absolutely no impact on ICE and are not pushing any of this,” Fetterman said. “I refuse to do this.”

Mullin’s secret trip

The nature of Mullin’s dark journey while serving in the House of Representatives nearly derailed the anticipated confirmation vote on Thursday.

Peters asked the lawmaker about an undisclosed trip between 2015 and 2016 and accused him, “Frankly, you haven’t been forthcoming with me or this committee since we’ve had these conversations.”

“The story always seems to be evolving, kind of changing, and as you know, candor, honesty and transparency are absolutely critical to trying to build trust, especially as the Secretary of Homeland Security during this time,” Peters said.

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Paul demanded that Mullin reveal the trip in private and threatened to cancel the hearing if he did not.

“I’m still willing to vote tomorrow, but I may cancel the vote tomorrow,” Paul said. “I’m still ready to vote, get this done, and get this done.”

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Mullin argued that, to his knowledge, only four people were aware of the details of the trip and that he had no authority to tell Paul or Peters.

“I’d really enjoy sitting there and chatting with you, because I don’t want you to ask questions about it or question my character,” Mullin said. “This is very simple for me, but I cannot give this authority. You know that.”