Rand Paul to oversee confirmation hearing of Markwayne Mullin, who once called him a ‘snake’

A confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is underway, and he will have to factor in an intraparty fight along the way.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will soon face a rigorous confirmation process in the Senate after being appointed by Trump to replace embattled DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

It will first pass the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee before moving to a full confirmation vote in the Senate.

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Homeland Security panel, wants to hold Mullin’s hearing next week. The White House formally sent Mullin’s nomination to the Senate on Monday, according to congressional records.

“If all the paperwork comes in, we’ll be shooting for a week starting Wednesday,” Paul said.

But Mullin and Paul have a personal disagreement that could spill over into his confirmation hearing.

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Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla.’s path to running the Department of Homeland Security won’t be easy in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Y) has already opposed his nomination. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In February, Mullin criticized Paul during an event for voters for his repeated votes against Republican priorities, such as spending bills or other elements of Trump’s agenda, such as last year’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Oklahoma correspondent David Arnett reported: long profile Mullin was asked during the event about an amendment the lawmaker voted against in Paul’s spending package.

Mullin warned that Paul was “trying to kill the farm bill because he tried to legalize hemp for beverages in Kentucky due to changes in the tobacco industry,” and then went after Paul’s voting history before touching on a 2017 incident in which the Kentucky Republican was attacked by his neighbor over a lawn dispute.

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President Donald Trump listens during an event on the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in the India Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington on March 4, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

“I respect Bernie Sanders because he’s an avowed socialist and you know he’s a communist, so you know what you’re going to get,” Mullin said. “Rand Paul is a fucking snake. And I totally understand why his neighbor did this. And I said it to his face.”

This disdain for Paul could play out during his confirmation hearing, but given that most Republicans on the panel will support him and that he has the support of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Mullin is expected to easily clear this first hurdle.

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Paul shrugged off the incident as he told reporters on Monday: “I’ll reserve judgment now and we’ll probably find out a lot more.”

“I still recommend you come to the hearing,” Paul said. “I think it will be interesting.”