During the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday, Committee Chair Rand Paul (R-KY) confronted Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), who is testifying as the nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), over comments Mullin previously made regarding Paul and an assault the Kentucky senator suffered in 2017.
Paul described in detail the violent assault he suffered, recounting how he was “struck in the back” by an attacker who charged at him, sending both men “nearly 10 feet down the hill” upon impact. He said the attack left him with six broken ribs, including three that were fully separated, as well as a damaged lung. Recalling the aftermath, Paul added, “The pain was such that I could only sit up in bed by tying a rope to the foot of the bed and pulling myself up… the pain was that of 1000 knives.”
He then turned directly to Mullin’s past remarks, saying, “You told the media that I was a ‘freaking snake’ and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted. I was shocked that you would justify and celebrate this violent assault.”
Paul questioned whether 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.” He then challenged Mullin to address the issue directly, stating, “Today I’ll give you that chance to correct the record. Tell me to my face why you think I deserve it.”
When it was his turn to respond, Mullin said, “I simply addressed that I said I could understand, because of the behavior you were having, that I can understand why the neighbor did what he did.” Mullin addressed his prior remarks, stating, “As far as my terms, the snake in the grass, sir, I work around this room to try to fix problems. I’ve worked with many people in this room. Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us. I did address those remarks. I did explain your gimmicks by the amendment you put forth.”
Mullin also disputed the accusation, saying, “And as far as me saying that I invoke violence, I don’t. I don’t think anybody should be hit by surprise. I don’t like that.” He added that if Paul has concerns, “everybody in this room knows I’ll come straight to you. I’ll say it publicly, and I’ll say it privately, but I’ll never say it behind your back.”
He pushed back on Paul’s characterization of their interactions, stating, “That’s not accurate, and I got proof to say that, because you have spent millions of dollars in my campaigns against me, because we just don’t get along.”
Mullin continued, “That doesn’t keep me at all from doing my job. I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as secretary of Homeland, I’ll be protecting everybody, including Kentucky, as much as I will my own backyard in Oklahoma,” adding that “it’s bigger than the partisan bickering that we have. It’s bigger than the political differences we have.”
“The truth is, I have a job to do, and I don’t like to fail at anything at all, so I can set it aside. If you’re willing to set it aside, let me earn your respect and let me earn the job. I won’t fail you. I won’t back down from the challenge. And I’ll also admit when I’m wrong. I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be perfect. I make mistakes, just like anybody else, but mistakes, if you own them, you can learn from them, and you can move ahead, and I’ll make that commitment to you,” Mullin concluded.
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