Sen Rand Paul grills Mullin on past comments on assault: 'Tell it to my face'
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., pulled no punches in his opening statement Wednesday morning at the Department of Homeland Security Committee hearing on fellow GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination to be...
By Fox News · Fox News
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., pulled no punches in his opening statement Wednesday morning at the Department of Homeland Security Committee hearing on fellow GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination to be Kristi Noem 's successor as secretary. Paul, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, accused Mullin of excusing political violence and challenging him to repeat past remarks of having called him a "snake" and saying he understood why Paul was attacked violently by a neighbor in 2017. "You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified," Paul told the committee in his opening remarks. "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. 40+ HOUSE REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOR DHS, CALL IT A ‘CRITICAL MOMENT’ FOR BORDER SECURITY "Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it." Mullin opened his own remarks off the cuff before his prepared statement to address Paul's verbal attack. "I have to address the remarks the chairman made, calling me a liar," Mullin opened. "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." WATCH MULLIN'S RESPONSE: Mullin pointed Paul back to a private conversation back in their days as House GOP members. MULLIN FACES DEMOCRAT GRILLING IN FIRST HURDLE TO LEAD DHS AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT "I said I could understand because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor…did what he did," Mullin said. "As far as my terms, the snake in the grass, sir, I work around this room to try to fix problems. I've worked with many people in this room. "It seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us. I did address those remarks…