Sen Rand Paul says Trump’s DHS pick, Markwayne Mullin, is 'unfit' for the job after heated hearing exchange

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., denounced President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nominee, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Wednesday, accusing him of justifying violence.

Paul accused Mullin of justifying an attack Paul experienced in 2017, when a neighbor assaulted him, leaving him with six broken ribs and lung damage.

"If I wished violence on his family, that wouldn't be acceptable. And if he says the violence that happened to me where I had six ribs broken, my lung damaged, part of my lung removed, two pneumonias — if he thinks that's justifiable, and he can readily understand it, I think that makes him unacceptable and unfit to hold office," Paul said Wednesday on "America Reports." 

Paul’s comments come after a heated exchange between the two GOP senators during a hearing Wednesday on Mullin’s nomination to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary.

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Sen. Rand Paul speaks as Sen. Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's nominee to be Homeland Security secretary, testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 18, 2026. (Reuters/Evan Vucci; Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)

"Tell it to my face if that's what you believe. Tell it to me today," Paul said during the hearing. "Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung."

"I said I could understand because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor … did what he did," Mullin responded in part.

"I had an infection that had a 25% death rate. … I went through hell," Paul told Fox News. "And anybody who thinks that that's something that's commendable is an unfit person to lead law enforcement.

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"He's actually very proud of endorsing the violence against me."

Paul repeatedly asserted that Mullin is unfit to run the Department of Homeland Security, citing what he called his "bizarre" obsession with and justification of violence.

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Paul warned that his GOP colleague's temperament would be dangerous in a position to lead federal law enforcement.

"This is a guy who is justifying his fighting behavior by referring to dueling and caning in the Senate. So, that to me is an anomaly," he said.

"‘Men will settle their differences by you punching them in the mouth.’ That is his quote," Paul told Fox News. "And he doesn't reject any of that. He doesn't say he wants to change. He doesn't say it was in the heat of battle. This is who he is."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday that despite the senators' "personal history," Mullin is the "right person" for the job.

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Paul told Fox News he expects Mullin will secure the votes to lead DHS but promised Mullin wouldn’t get his vote.

"No. I mean, an apology might have had a chance, but he's had several chances," the Kentucky senator said. "I talked to him privately, and he referred to it that we had political differences."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mullin's office for comment.