Trump’s DHS pick Markwayne Mullin advances out of Senate committee
U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Homeland Security secretary, testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, USA on March 18, 2026.
Evan Vucci | Reuters
A day after a grueling confirmation hearing, a Senate committee on Thursday advanced the nomination of Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to head the Department of Homeland Security.
On Wednesday, Mullin cleared his first procedural hurdle in running the department, despite prodding from his Senate colleagues over his temperament, DHS’s immigration policies and a trip abroad that he repeatedly said was “secret” while a member of the House.
The vote was 8-7; Senate panel chairman Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is the only Republican to oppose the nomination. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is the only Democrat to vote in favor. Republicans have an 8-7 majority on the committee.
Mullin’s nomination now goes to the full Senate, where it will need a majority to be approved.
Paul’s “no” vote came after he lashed out at the nominee at his confirmation hearing the day before. Mullin recently said he understood why Paul’s neighbor physically attacked him in 2017 and called Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican who doesn’t usually vote for his party, a “terrible snake.” Paul described Mullin as “unapologetic.”
“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.
Paul told reporters after Wednesday’s hearing that he would not support the nomination but would remain committed to Thursday’s vote, even as questions swirled around Mullin’s vague statement about his foreign trip. After Wednesday’s public hearing, some committee members moved to the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility to get more information in an environment where Mullin could talk about classified information.
Mullin was appointed to lead the agency earlier this month after President Donald Trump fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem via a Truth Social post.
Fetterman declined to speak to reporters after the vote, instead directing them to a statement released on the X.
“In January, I called on the president to fire Noem, and she did. I approached the confirmation of my colleague and friend, Senator Mullin, with a really open mind,” Fetterman said. post. “We need a leader at DHS. We must reopen DHS. My AYE is rooted in a strong, committed, constructive working relationship with Senator Mullin for the security of our nation.”
