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Trump's DHS pick Markwayne Mullin offers stunning details on secret 2016 mission: ‘It was absolutely awful’
Senator Markwayne Mullin disclosed his classified travel on a covert mission during his time in Congress.
In his confirmation hearing, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) informed fellow senators that he undertook a "classified" journey to a secret location in 2016 while he was a member of Congress. This marks Mullin's first admission of his formal participation in a covert foreign mission — likely in a perilous region of the globe.
"That was an official trip that is classified," Mullin stated in reply to inquiries from Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the leading Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, during his heated confirmation hearing to assume leadership of the Department of Homeland Security.
Mullin also left the door open for the possibility that he traveled abroad for “mission work” before his election to Congress. He, however, offered no further details.
Mullin has frequently suggested to his colleagues that he participated in security missions in conflict zones before joining Congress, reported Axios.
Mullin calls secret mission training ‘absolutely awful’
On Wednesday, he provided further insights into previously unreported travel during his tenure as a lawmaker.
"I had to go through tier training. The training and stuff was kind of fun," he stated, adding that it "was absolutely awful."
“I've never spoken specifically on details,” he added.
When Peters asked him, “So where did you smell war, sir?”, he responded, “I just said that this was classified — and the dates, locations and mission, I've never spoken about those details.”
Mullin emphasised that he was not required to disclose the specifics of the trip to the committee as it pertained to official business.
Peters said that he would pursue additional information on his own. "That's fine," Mullin replied.
Who is Markwayne Mullin?
Mullin, 48, has been serving in the Senate since 2023, following a decade of representation for Oklahoma in the House. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation, a business entrepreneur, and has a background as a college wrestler and MMA fighter.
In his role in the Senate, Mullin has acted as the unofficial intermediary with the House, frequently addressing conflicts between the two chambers. Additionally, he is a steadfast supporter of the president, bolstering his agenda on Capitol Hill.
US shutdown
The effort to appoint a new DHS secretary arises as the department has remained closed for over a month due to a stalemate in Congress regarding funding for its immigration enforcement activities.
At the same time, the effects of the shutdown are being experienced by agencies under DHS's jurisdiction, such as TSA. This deadlock has resulted in considerable staffing challenges at airports, with numerous TSA officers resigning from their positions while others are taking sick leave, all while they are not receiving pay during the shutdown.
