‘Love the fight’: Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin’s past shocking videos spark backlash, netizens call him ‘unqualified’ News of the World

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin was recently sworn in as the new Homeland Security secretary, replacing Kristi Noem, who was fired this month amid a series of controversies. However, the new leader of Homeland Security seemed to arrive with a villain of his own, following a series of viral and widely shared social media posts that hinted at his physically abusive past.

“I can hit them…”: Discipline or abuse?

The strongest outcry stemmed from a video of Mullin speaking at a church-sponsored “City Elders” event on October 6, 2023. In his talk, he talked about discipling children, adding that he was raised with a “fear of the belt.” “The discipline was fair and not overreactive. … So I learned respect from the discipline,” he said. He went on to deepen the controversy by sharing how he disciplines his twin daughters by spanking them. “I can hit them, but I still feel uneasy and two minutes later they’re crawling into my lap and hugging me. I have to learn how to forgive more,” he added. He then went on to imitate his daughter Laura, saying, “She was like, ‘No, daddy. No, daddy, no, daddy, no. I’m sorry, daddy. I’m sorry, daddy.'” … She just couldn’t bring herself to bend over so that I could break her ass. ” He then mentioned his son Andrew and how he had the hardest time spanking him because he was “too hard on himself” and had “giant crocodile tears in his eyes.”Many netizens accused Mullin of using spankings to discipline his children, while others were outraged by the wording he used to explain the situation. One user wrote on “Did Trump intentionally pick the least qualified people to serve in his administration?” another asked. Even Democrats jumped on the spoof train, writing: “He bragged about hitting his own daughter. This is the guy who now runs ICE for Trump.”

“I like to fight…”: The history of physical confrontation

Not just one, in another clip from an event he attended with wife Christie Mullin , the ex mixed martial arts fighter Telling viewers how he physically threatened his wife’s boyfriend at school.Mullin said he didn’t date because he was focused on getting a scholarship, but knew he would marry Christy since eighth grade. So when she had a boyfriend, he would hang out with the couple and threaten them to leave. “I never drank, but I loved fighting,” he added. “I just told them if they didn’t drink, I would put them in the car myself.”This isn’t the first time Mullin has displayed a tendency to fight and an angry personality in public. That same year, he challenged U.S. President Sean O’Brien. International Brotherhood of Teamsters A physical altercation occurred during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing. “You want to keep your mouth shut, we can be two consenting adults and we can get it done here,” he told O’Brien. When asked in an interview if he would follow through, Mullin said: “I would have jumped over the podium at that point.”

“I prefer the David method…”

In November 2023, during an appearance on Kyle Thompson’s “Undaunted.Life: A Man’s Podcast,” Mullin was asked whether Republican senators should engage in such squabbles, and he defended his actions by mentioning a time in history when men would often resolve their differences by dueling. He said he’s not a good Christian if people expect him to ignore O’Brien’s comments. “I try to be a good Christian, and I know people say you should turn the other cheek, and I prefer David’s way. I’m not going to start it, but I’m going to do my best to finish it,” he said. “Maybe I’ll lose, who knows, but I promise you, you’ll know you’ve been fighting.”Most recently, on March 18, 2026, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Rand Paul Confronted Mullin at nomination hearing. He questioned Mullin’s claims that he was injured in an attack in November 2017, when Mullin was assaulted by a neighbor and suffered six broken ribs. Paul played clips of Mullin’s past remarks questioning whether someone with such a “temperament” was fit to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin stood his ground, saying he “understood” the attack but did not “support it.” Paul further asked him if he believed that political disputes could also be resolved through violence. Mullin maintained his stance while adding that as Homeland Security secretary he would bring “peace of mind and security” to the United States. Mullin, the owner of a family pipeline business and a rancher, ran for Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District in 2011 and won. He briefly served as a professional MMA fighter, winning three professional fights between 2006 and 2007. While Noem has been dubbed “ICE Barbie,” a controversial name that may carry baggage from her campaign, Trump still seems busy dealing with a new secretary willing to trade his vest for a pair of gloves. Whether this helps Trump’s propaganda or hinders his success remains to be seen.