Mullin agrees to meet with committee behind closed doors after dustup over claims about overseas trips

Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) on Wednesday agreed to meet with members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee behind closed doors after a dustup with leadership from both parties over him largely declining to answer questions about past trips overseas, saying that information was classified.

After much wrangling and initial pushback from Mullin, he agreed to meet members of the panel in the Senate’s sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF).

The issue was first raised by Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.), the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, who asked Mullin to explain a series of remarks that implied he has seen active combat, including the Oklahoman’s references to the smell of war.

“Where did you ‘smell war,’ sir?” Peters asked.

Mullin said he was involved in a trip as a House member that was to help do some training, but he offered few specifics.

“I just said that this was classified, and the dates, locations and the mission,” he said.

“But in 2015 I was asked to train with a very small contingency and go to a certain area…I have spoken general about my experiences, but I’ve never spoke specifically on details, on dates or on the mission, and that was official,” he said, adding that just four or so people were involved in the trip.

That answer proved unsatisfying to Peters and Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

Peters said he already checked with intelligence agencies to verify Mullin’s claims.

“We want to know what the supposed classified work was. We have real questions about it. I asked the FBI yesterday. I said, ‘If someone had appeared in any classified document, any document, would that be in this report?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘I don’t see anything for Senator Mullen. Why is that?’ They said, ‘Nothing showed up.’ We queried the Department of State, the Department of Defense, other intel folks, so you’re in no classified document that the federal government has, according to the FBI, and yet you’re telling me you did all this classified work,” Peters said.

“I don’t know how that reconciles.”

Paul called the matter “confusing” given that Mullin’s claims appear to clash with reports assembled by the intelligence community.

“You’ve now mentioned today that you have activities you’ve done, and so I think it would be easy, and I’m still willing to have the vote tomorrow, but I can cancel the vote tomorrow,” Paul said pressing Mullin to go to the SCIF, saying the matter “doesn’t sound like it’s a secret you’re too concerned about divulging.”

Mullin asked if it could be just Paul, Peters and a few other members, saying people would need to get “cleared” to hear the information.

“I have nothing to hide on this. This is too easy. I would really enjoy sitting there and have a conversation with you, because I don’t want you have questions or question my character on this. So that’s very simple for me, but I can’t make that authorization,” he said.

But Paul insisted the entire committee be allowed to attend.

“It’s all or nothing, all the members need to be able to hear it directly,” Paul said. “The problem appears things are siloed, and it just looks like resistance that you don’t want everything to come out. It’s more forthcoming if you let any member of the committee and classified staff into it.”

Mullin has frequently nodded to work overseas without offering specifics, and in a comment to The Washington Post described the travel as mission work.

“War is ugly. It smells bad. If anybody has ever been there and been able to smell the war that’s happening around you and taste it and feel it in your nostrils and hear it, it’s something you will never forget,” Mullin said earlier this month during an appearance on Fox News.

During a podcast appearance the next day, he said he’s never directly worked for the Department of Defense.

“I never wore the uniform or the flag on my shoulder, but I might have been in the same area,” he said.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Trump’s takeover of DC landmarks reaches legal apex

Rand Paul confronts Markwayne Mullin over ‘snake’ remark; says he has ...

Thune: Republicans will use SAVE Act in midterms if Democrats don’t get ‘on ...

US military drops 5,000-pound deep-penetrator bombs near Strait of Hormuz 

GOP tempers flare over how to pass SAVE America Act

Judge skeptical over Trump ballroom project amid new bid to halt it 

Rand Paul says he’s a ‘no’ vote on Mullin for DHS secretary

Mullin says FEMA should be ‘restructured’ and that he’ll end Noem’s ...

Ossoff grills Gabbard on whether Iran posed ‘imminent nuclear threat’

Peters presses Mullin to explain past comments: ‘Where did you smell war?’

Republicans collide with Trump over no-excuse absentee voting, SAVE Act

Live updates: Paul tussles with Mullin at DHS hearing; Iran operation dominates ...

Trump talk about taking over countries will ‘come back to bite us in the rear ...

Fed keeps rates steady as Iran conflict roils economy

Judge permanently blocks Ten Commandments displays at several Arkansas school ...

Vance on Joe Kent resignation: ‘Nobody likes war’

Gabbard fends off questions about Fulton County election raid

Former Trump appointee: MAGA movement is ‘dead’

© The Hill