What should have been a routine confirmation hearing quickly spiraled into something far more revealing—and far more uncomfortable—thanks to Sen. Rand Paul.
If you’ve followed Paul over the years, you know he loves his annual “Festivus” reports on government waste. But, he turned Wednesday’s hearing into a brand new Airing of Grievances, and aimed it squarely at Sen. Markwayne Mullin, and the only thing missing was the aluminum pole.
It’s a Seinfeld joke.
Anyway, Paul, the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, set the tone immediately. He started things off by blocking Sen. Katie Britt from offering the customary introduction of Mullin, which many found excessively petty. That alone signaled this wasn’t going to be business as usual. One senior Republican didn’t mince words, calling Paul a “seething snake — and a hopeless hypocrite.”
Then came the main event.
Paul opened by revisiting one of the most painful chapters of his life—the 2017 attack by a neighbor that left him with six broken ribs and a damaged lung. It wasn’t just a personal story. It was a setup to go toe-to-toe with Mullin. Why? Because Mullin had previously told the media he “completely understood” why the assault happened, while also calling Paul a “freaking snake” over his policy positions.
Paul wasn’t about to let that slide.
“Instead of explaining your vote to continue these welfare programs for refugees, you decide to transfer the blame. You told the media that I was a ‘freaking snake’ and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted,” Paul said in his opening remarks. “I was shocked it would justify and celebrate this violent assault that caused me so much pain and my family so much pain.”
He added, “I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force.”
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“You chose to lash out at me. You went on to brag that you’d already told me to my face that you completely understood and approved of the assault. Well, that’s a lie. You got a chance today. You can either continue to lie, or you can correct the record,” Paul continued. “You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified, so today you’ll have your chance. Today, I’ll give you that chance to clear the record. Tell it to my face, if that’s what you believe. Tell it to me today. Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind. Have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it.”
"Does justifying violence set a good example for the men and women of ICE?" pic.twitter.com/poMCFv2iBF
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) March 18, 2026
Mullin, for his part, didn’t back down.
“I have to address the remarks the chairman made, calling me a liar. Sir, I think everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct to the point, and if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face. If you recall back in my House days, we actually did have this conversation,” he said. “I simply addressed that. I said I could understand, because of the behavior you were having, that I can understand why your neighbor did what he did. As far as my terms ‘snake in the grass,’ sir, 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.”
And he wasn’t done. “And as far as me saying that I invoke violence — I don’t think anybody should be hit by surprise. I don’t like that. But if I do have something to say, everybody in this room knows,” he continued. “I’ll come straight to you, I’ll say it publicly, and I’ll say it privately, but I’ll never say it behind your back. So for you to say I’m a liar, sir, that’s not accurate.”
That explanation didn’t exactly smooth things over.
“You’re unrepentant,” Paul replied. “I don’t hear the word apologize. Haven’t heard the word regret. Haven’t heard I misspoke.”
Paul made his position clear by the end. He’s a firm “no” on Mullin’s confirmation.
These confirmation hearings ought to be a real doozy.
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