Teamsters President Sean O’Brien sat behind Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) in a sign of support as he faced a Senate confirmation hearing to become the next Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary.
Mullin infamously had a dust-up with O’Brien back in 2023 during a Senate hearing, where the two seemingly sought to fight each other over comments that O’Brien had made online about Mullin.
Since the incident went viral, though, Mullin and O’Brien have become friends. When President Donald Trump announced Mullin’s nomination, O’Brien endorsed his nomination.
“If anyone is willing to stand their butt up to protect America, it’s Markwayne Mullin,” O’Brien said, in a cheeky reference to his and Mullin’s prior public feud.
U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) greets General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O’Brien as he arrives for a confirmation hearing to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) said she commended Mullin and O’Brien for setting aside their differences and finding common ground on issues, particularly as it relates to labor unions.
“What started out as a very big difference between you and Mr. O’Brien, you found a way to, both of you, come together to share thoughts and ideas and turn something good out of that discourse,” Ernst said. “And I think more people need to learn how to do that.”
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected].
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