OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
1:16 PM – Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin faced questions from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair, Senator Rand Paul, over his past comments, leading Paul to accuse the senator of having “anger issues” during his Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary confirmation hearing.
Mullin (R-Okla.) testified before Congress on Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced his nomination for Mullin to replace Kristi Noem, who was recently selected for a newly-created role, “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.“
Senator Paul (R-Ky.) directly challenged Mullin’s fitness to lead the Department of Homeland Security, citing a history of policy disagreements between the two.
The friction traces back to January 30, 2026, when Mullin joined 19 other Senate Republicans and the Democrat caucus in voting against Paul’s amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 7148). The amendment, which sought to eliminate funding for refugee assistance, failed 32–67. While most Republicans supported the measure, Mullin’s opposition drew Paul’s ire.
Tensions further escalated after Mullin publicly condemned Paul’s character, calling him a “freaking snake” and telling the media he “understood” why Paul had been physically assaulted by a neighbor in 2017, leading Paul to question if Mullin possesses the temperament to lead the nation’s largest law enforcement agency.
“Rand Paul’s a freaking snake,” Mullin previously told a group of voters, according to reporting by Oklahoma journalist David Arnett. “I understand completely why his neighbor did what he did. And I told him that to his face.”
Paul’s line of questioning on Wednesday naturally pivoted to their long-standing personal and legislative friction, using past confrontations to cast doubt on Mullin’s suitability for the DHS post.
“Instead of explaining your vote to continue these welfare programs for refugees, you decided to transfer the blame. You told the media that I was a ‘freaking snake’ and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted,” Paul told Mullin during his opening remarks at the hearing. “I was shocked that you would justify and celebrate this violent assault that caused me so much pain and my family so much pain.”
Paul was assaulted in November 2017 while doing yard work at his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky. His neighbor, Rene Boucher, reportedly attacked him from behind, leaving him with six broken ribs and bruised lungs.
Boucher pleaded guilty in 2018 to a federal felony charge of assaulting a member of Congress resulting in personal injury. He was first sentenced to 30 days in jail, given a $10,000 fine, 100 hours of community service, and a year of supervised release. However, after an appeal in 2019, he was sentenced to 14 total months by a federal judge, including seven additional months in prison and six months of home confinement.
“I just wonder if 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 continued.
“You chose to lash out at me. You went on to brag that you’d already told me to my face that you completely understood and approved of the assault. Well, that’s a lie. You got a chance today. You can either continue to lie or you can correct the record,” Paul went on, addressing Mullin.
“You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified, so today you’ll have your chance. Today I’ll give you that chance to clear the record,” Paul said. “Tell it to my face, if that’s what you believe. Tell it to me today. Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind. Have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it.”
“And while you’re at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents,” Paul added.
Mullin responded to Paul at the beginning of his opening statement on Wednesday, observing that Paul often disagrees with his GOP peers.
“I have to address the remarks the chairman made, calling me a liar. Sir, I think everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct to the point, and if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face. If you recall back in my House days we actually did have this conversation,” said Mullin. He upheld his comment about understanding what Paul’s neighbor must have felt toward him.
“As far as my terms ‘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,” he added.
“I don’t think anybody should be hit by surprise,” Mullin clarified, stating that he does not believe he invokes violence. “I don’t like that. But if I do have something to say, 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. So, for you to say I’m a liar, sir, that’s not accurate.”
During the hearing, Mullin also countered Paul’s criticisms by referencing the Kentucky Republican’s history of spending against him in past campaigns, as well as the “character assassination” he felt Paul was conducting through digital messaging.
“We just don’t get along,” he added.
Mullin has not yet been confirmed as the next secretary of Homeland Security, but he has completed his first marathon confirmation hearing after several hours of testimony and questioning.
While he remains a close ally of the administration and is intended to replace outgoing Secretary Noem, his path to a full Senate vote appears to face complications due to the partial DHS shutdown and Paul’s actions to delay the process.
A committee vote is currently scheduled for Thursday, where Mullin’s advancement may depend on bipartisan support from members like Senator John Fetterman (D-Penn.), who signaled a willingness to work with the nominee despite the day’s heated rhetoric. However, some news outlets have reported that “potential delays tied to unresolved issues” from Wednesday’s hearing may occur, pushing back Thursday’s planned hearing.
Congress continues to struggle with DHS funding due to a deadlock over Democrat-demanded restrictions on immigration enforcement agencies, leaving the department in a shutdown that has now exceeded one month. Following the expiration of a two-week stopgap measure intended to allow for debate on ICE and CBP oversight, Democrats have remained firm in their refusal to pass any funding bill lacking these accountability stipulations. Consequently, the department lapsed into a shutdown on February 14th.
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