Teamsters boss praises Mullin DHS nomination despite past heated hearings
Nearly two and a half years after they nearly came to blows in a viral Senate hearing, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien offered praise for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Thursday...
By Fox News · Fox News
Nearly two and a half years after they nearly came to blows in a viral Senate hearing, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien offered praise for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Thursday after President Donald Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Homeland Security. "If anyone is willing to stand their butt up to protect America, it’s Markwayne Mullin," O’Brien said in a statement. The endorsement marked a striking turn for the two men, who clashed publicly in November 2023 during a heated Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing that appeared to be on the brink of a physical altercation. During the exchange, Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, referenced a social media post in which O’Brien had said he could take the senator "any time" or "any place." BEHIND THE SCENES: TRUMP AND WHITE HOUSE RALLY BEHIND NOEM AS ‘RADICALS’ DEMAND OUSTER "Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, and we can finish it here," Mullin said at the hearing. Mullin then stood up and appeared ready to approach O’Brien before then-Committee Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., intervened. "Stop it, hold it, no, no, sit down," Sanders said. "You're a United States senator. Sit down." GOP SENATORS TANGLE WITH NOEM DURING HEATED HEARING ON HER HANDLING OF DEPORTATION SURGE The confrontation continued verbally for several minutes, with Mullin calling O’Brien a "thug" and O’Brien labeling the senator "disrespectful," before Sanders banged his gavel and moved the hearing forward. The two men had also sparred months earlier over O’Brien’s salary compared to that of union members, forcing Sanders to step in during that hearing as well. O’Brien’s statement Thursday signaled a sharp contrast from the combative exchanges that once defined their relationship. WATCH: The Teamsters president started it: Sen. Markwayne Mullin GOP SENATOR BLOCKS TRUMP DHS NOMINEES UNTIL NOEM TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE The statement ca…