Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing to become the next Homeland Security secretary soon became a battleground of old grudges as Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky used the occasion to relitigate Mullin’s past criticisms of him.

Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, opened the hearing by raising remarks Mullin made earlier this year when he called Paul a “freaking snake” and suggested he understood why the senator had been physically assaulted by a neighbor years ago in an attack that broke several of his ribs.

Paul recounted his assault and his extensive injuries, describing his pain as “that of a thousand knives.” The senator said that Mullin “never had the courage” to look him in the eye and tell him that the attack on him was justified and challenged him to do so.

"So, today, Markwayne Mullin, I’ll give you a chance. Tell it to my face. Tell the world why you believe I deserved to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken, and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it." pic.twitter.com/wodEs9Hc9O— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) March 18, 2026

"So, today, Markwayne Mullin, I’ll give you a chance. Tell it to my face. Tell the world why you believe I deserved to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken, and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it." pic.twitter.com/wodEs9Hc9O

Before Mullin gave his own opening statement, he said he needed to address Paul’s comments “calling me a liar.” The Oklahoma senator said that he’s known for being blunt and has no problem saying anything directly to someone’s face. Mullin then proceeded to double down on his comments about Paul as the chairman looked on. “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,” Mullin said.

DHS Secretary Nominee Sen. Markwayne Mullin responds to Sen. Rand Paul in Opening Statement: "You calling me a liar is not accurate." pic.twitter.com/6Bj1q2GUU2— CSPAN (@cspan) March 18, 2026

DHS Secretary Nominee Sen. Markwayne Mullin responds to Sen. Rand Paul in Opening Statement: "You calling me a liar is not accurate." pic.twitter.com/6Bj1q2GUU2

Mullin suggested that the pair’s animus toward one other doesn’t preclude him from being able to lead the Department of Homeland Security. “You have spent millions of dollars in my campaigns against me because we just don’t get along. However, sir, that doesn’t keep me at all from doing my job,” he said. “I can have difference of 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.”

But things became even more tense as Paul began his questioning as Mullin indicated that he had no intention of apologizing for his remarks against him.

RAND PAUL: You offered no apology. And you offer no apology today, and no regretsMARKWAYNE MULLIN: I'm not apologizing for pointing out your character PAUL: You want people to know you supported a felonious, violent attack on me from behindMULLIN: I did not say I supported… pic.twitter.com/K02i3PWIpZ— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2026

RAND PAUL: You offered no apology. And you offer no apology today, and no regretsMARKWAYNE MULLIN: I'm not apologizing for pointing out your character PAUL: You want people to know you supported a felonious, violent attack on me from behindMULLIN: I did not say I supported… pic.twitter.com/K02i3PWIpZ

Paul also raised an incident from 2023, when Mullin threatened to fight Teamsters president Sean O’Brien during a different Senate hearing, asking if that kind of behavior set a good example for the employees of DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mullin responded by noting that he and O’Brien had since made amends and that the labor leader was currently in the room, supporting his nomination.

RAND PAUL: You offered no apology. And you offer no apology today, and no regretsMARKWAYNE MULLIN: I'm not apologizing for pointing out your character PAUL: You want people to know you supported a felonious, violent attack on me from behindMULLIN: I did not say I supported… pic.twitter.com/K02i3PWIpZ— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2026

RAND PAUL: You offered no apology. And you offer no apology today, and no regretsMARKWAYNE MULLIN: I'm not apologizing for pointing out your character PAUL: You want people to know you supported a felonious, violent attack on me from behindMULLIN: I did not say I supported… pic.twitter.com/K02i3PWIpZ

Paul continued to press Mullin on whether he was in favor of political violence, which prompted Mullin to accuse the senator of “character assassination.”

MARKWAYNE MULLIN: I get it. It's about character assassination for you. You're making this about youRAND PAUL: It's 'character assassination' when you were the one lauding the assault?! pic.twitter.com/Ra4tmcX77e— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 18, 2026

MARKWAYNE MULLIN: I get it. It's about character assassination for you. You're making this about youRAND PAUL: It's 'character assassination' when you were the one lauding the assault?! pic.twitter.com/Ra4tmcX77e

Thanks to Democratic senator John Fetterman’s support, Mullin likely has votes to pass through the committee and onto the full Senate. But it’s safe to say that at least one Republican vote will remain out of his grasp.

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