Politics Reporter
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
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What to know about Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing today:
Sen. Markwayne Mullin will appear before the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee for a confirmation hearing on Wednesday morning as the chamber tees up the Oklahoma Republican’s nomination to replace embattled Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
President Trump announced earlier this month that he planned to replace Noem with Mullin following months of criticism over her handling of the department’s immigration enforcement operations. A pair of congressional hearings appeared to deliver the final blow days before her ouster, as Noem faced criticism from Republicans, including on DHS’ controversial advertising spending.
Mullin is expected to sail to Senate confirmation as DHS secretary, being a well-liked member of the upper chamber with friends on both sides of the aisle. But Wednesday’s hearing could be awkward, after Mullin reportedly called Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the committee chairman, a “freaking snake.” Paul told reporters he would reserve judgement ahead of the hearing, while saying it will “be interesting.”
The hearing is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be live-streamed in the video player at the top of this page.
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Who is Markwayne Mullin?
Mullin, 48 has been in the Senate since 2023, after representing Oklahoma in the House for a decade. Mullin is a member of the Cherokee Nation, a business owner, and a former college wrestler and MMA fighter.
In the Senate, Mullin has served as the de facto middleman with the House, often fielding disagreements between the upper and lower chamber. He’s also a reliable ally of the president, propping up his agenda on Capitol Hill.
