WASHINGTON (TNND) — Markwayne Mullin was confirmed to replace Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security on Monday as the department remains shut down.
Mullin was confirmed by the Senate in a 54-45 vote on Monday night. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the sole Republican who voted against his confirmation. Two Democrats, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., voted in favor of his confirmation.
President Donald Trump was asked about Mullin’s pending confirmation when speaking with reporters outside of Air Force One on Monday morning.
He’ll make his own changes. He’s already given me a list of people he wants to bring. He’s a fantastic guy. I think he’s just the right guy. You all know him. He’s a very open, smart guy, very successful actually in business, which people don’t know, and he’s a friend of mine. I think Markwayne is going to be fantastic,” Trump said.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Mullin sparred with Sen. Paul after he used his opening statement to confront Mullin over past comments calling him a “freaking snake” and saying he “completely understood” why a neighbor assaulted Paul in 2017.
“Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it,” Paul said. “And while you’re at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.”
Paul voted no to advance the nomination. But Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., cast a critical vote for Mullin following the tense exchange between Mullin and Paul.
Fetterman said he is supporting Mullin’s nomination as he feels it will be an “improvement over Noem.” He also said he has a “constructive working relationship” with Mullin.
Noem faced political backlash over immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations hit a boiling point.
“My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every single day. My goal is to help people understand we’re out there, we’re protecting them and we’re working with them,” said Mullin during the confirmation hearing last week.
The shutdown is causing long wait times at airports across the U.S. as airport staff are impacted by the lack of funding. On Monday, the Trump administration also greenlighted ICE agents to assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers at America’s airports.
Despite receiving votes across party lines, Democrats are demanding changes to immigration enforcement operations after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during protests in Minneapolis this year.
Mullin is a former mixed martial arts fighter who has served in Congress for more than a dozen years. He also owns a family plumbing business in Oklahoma.
He is a strong supporter of Trump’s immigration agenda and ICE officers and is seen as a negotiator between parties on Capitol Hill, becoming friends with those on both sides of the aisle.
“I can have different opinions with everybody in this room, but as Secretary of Homeland I’ll be protecting everybody,” Mullin said last week.
Editor’s Note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
