Live updates: Markwayne Mullin faces Senate in confirmation hearing for DHS secretary

The Senate hearing has concluded. For more coverage, please visit https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/.

Mullin committed to cooperating with an investigation led by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general into Corey Lewandowski, who helped Noem approve no-bid contracts.

“I’ll do everything that’s required of me by law, but the IG will be doing the investigation,” Mullin answered. “We’ll let the IG decide what documents he’s going to share, and maybe you can bring that up with him.”

Lewandowski, a top aide to Noem, is accused by Congress of holding outsize influence over DHS in the contract controversy. Noem denied the special government employee played a role in contracting decisions, but internal records suggest otherwise. Congress is seeking those records and calling for the inspector general to investigate the matter.

The controversy reportedly played a major role in President Donald Trump’s decision to reassign Noem.

Mullin said there would not be a contract review under his leadership at the Department of Homeland Security as there was under outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem.

Noem generated controversy at her congressional hearings earlier this month related to her department’s approval of contracts for $100,000 or more. A $220 million advertising campaign was awarded to firms tied to Noem and one of her top aides, Corey Lewandowski.

Mullin and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) got into a heated exchange in the opening minutes of the confirmation hearing for the Oklahoma senator to be Department of Homeland Security secretary.

Watch the interaction below.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, threatened to cancel a Thursday vote on Mullin’s confirmation over his classified travel for official trips as a lawmaker.

The nominee refused to divulge that information, but the chairman kept pushing.

Mullin declined to reveal who assigned him the classified travel, but he agreed to disclose the information in a sensitive compartmented information facility following the confirmation hearing. Paul said he wanted to clear up the confusion promptly.

During her time questioning Mullin, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) warned that the partial government shutdown opens the door for a 9/11-style attack because of the lack of federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

“The fact of the matter is that there is a greater possibility of September 11 happening all over again because we are not properly funding the men and women that protect our homeland,” she said.

Ernst said she hoped she never sees a similar attack as the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack comes this year.

There have been a slew of Islamic-linked attacks on U.S. soil since the shutdown started on Feb. 14, including one targeting a Michigan synagogue. DHS is on high alert for threats as the Trump administration’s war with Iran progresses.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, reportedly blocked Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) from introducing Mullin at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation told the Washington Examiner about Paul’s move. One of those sources criticized the Republican chairman.

“Rand Paul has become completely blinded by his hatred of President Trump and petty personal squabbles. His actions today were those of a seething snake—and a hopeless hypocrite,” a senior Senate GOP source said, echoing Mullin’s past comments about Paul being a “snake.”

“What kind of free speech advocate would bar Senator Mullin’s choice to deliver his introduction from speaking?” the source asked. “What kind of Republican would bar a fellow Republican Senator from voicing their support of a colleague? Why is this guy allowed to hold a Republican gavel anymore?”

Britt and Mullin are good friends, and she expressed support for the Trump nominee during the hearing.

David Sivak contributed to this report.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said he rejects the idea that Mullin is not “100%” qualified to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

“I reject this idea that you’re not qualified for this job 100%,” Gallego said.

Gallego noted the Trump nominee is an “upstanding guy,” but the Democratic lawmaker expressed concern that Homeland Security Investigations would be used to investigate something it shouldn’t.

“As a matter of fact, no one in Department of Homeland Security should be used to investigate an election conspiracy,” Gallego asserted.

The comment is a reference to the DHS investigation into possible voter fraud committed by U.S. citizens before they were naturalized.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) joked that he bet Teamsters president Sean O’Brien would’ve won in a fight with Mullin during the confirmation hearing for the Oklahoma senator to be DHS secretary.

“I see you have some supporters with you today. Chairman Smith, good to see you. My friend Sean O’Brien is here. I want the record to reflect that my money was always on O’Brien, just want that noted,” Hawley said.

He was referring to a previous hearing, when Mullin challenged O’Brien to a fight during a particularly heated exchange.

The two patched up their relationship, and O’Brien came to Mullin’s confirmation hearing to show his support.

Mullin said he believes Immigration and Customs Enforcement should transport jailed illegal immigrants instead of operating on the “front line” in states that don’t want immigration raids.

“I would love to see ICE become a transport more than the front line,” he said. “If we get back to just simply working with law enforcement, we’re going to them, and we’re picking up these criminals from their jail.”

Under his leadership, Mullin also said the Department of Homeland Security would reimburse local jails for housing illegal immigrants accused of crimes.

“I don’t think there needs to be a law to change that. I think I can work within what is there,” he continued. “There’s a approach that can happen, but we got to have partners.”

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) proposed a “rapid reaction fund” for Jewish communities in the wake of recent antisemitic attacks.

“I would just ask your help in reforming the nonprofit security grant program, so it’s agile,” Slotkin told Mullin. “Maybe even looking at a rapid reaction fund, but certainly asking for some sort of task force.”

She pointed to the December 2025 shooting in Bondi Beach, Australia, as an example of a recent antisemitic attack that needed an immediate response from law enforcement.

In Slotkin’s home state of Michigan last week, a Detroit-area synagogue was attacked by a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon. The incident happened amid Trump’s war on Iran.

During his line of questioning for Mullin, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) urged his fellow lawmakers and politicians overall to abandon their personal feelings toward the Trump nominee.

Fetterman recounted that he had to let go of politicians’ past statements against him when he was in the hospital years ago.

“There were unkind things said about me, but I can just say that it’s better to just let it all go and to find a way forward. That’s the time that we’re now in our country,” Fetterman said, adding he hopes people would describe Mullin as being able to let go of hate against him “in those kinds of moments.”

The comments come after Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spent the beginning of the hearing berating Mullin over personal comments he made after Paul was attacked in his home.

Mullin said mayors who lead sanctuary cities across the nation “love their communities” and attributed the political differences between those leaders and the Trump administration to a “misunderstanding.”

“They still love their community. They still love their cities. They still love this country,” he explained. “So maybe it’s a misunderstanding we can work by, and I’m going to start with that. That’s what I’m going to start with. If we have to do something different, then we will.”

“We’re going to enforce the nation’s laws and make sure we protect everybody in their city, and hopefully work with them and never work against them,” he continued.

Mullin’s messaging is a departure from Noem’s antagonistic treatment of sanctuary cities.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) wore an expensive watch while supporting Mullin at his confirmation hearing.

The watch was identified as an FP Journe chronometre bleu with a tantalum case. The watch is normally sold at $40,000 in retail, but in the gray market, it’s worth about $200,000.

McCarthy is one of a few lawmakers and friends sitting behind Mullin while he gets questioned.

The nomination of a full-time Federal Emergency Management Agency leader is expected to be a “priority” under his potential future leadership, according to Mullin.

“We are making that a priority in each one of our agencies,” he said when asked by Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) about appointing a FEMA administrator who “has real experience in emergency management.”

In his response, Mullin knocked the “tough” process for confirmation and pleaded with lawmakers to give a future FEMA appointee a “fair shake.” He accused them of not treating him fairly.

“If I bring somebody else into you, maybe you’ll give them a fair shake and work with them because I’m going to find somebody that is capable of doing the job, that’s smarter than me at doing the job, that has experience doing the job,” the Trump nominee said. “But when they come to your office and ask for your support, don’t tell them it’s politics.”