Markwayne Mullin will head the US Department of Homeland Security.Image: keystone
The new head of the US Department of Homeland Security is Markwayne Mullin. But who is this Republican who is supposed to succeed Kristi Noem? In short: He is a man entirely to Trump’s taste.
March 6, 2026, 11:27 amMarch 6, 2026, 12:02 p.m
Kristi Noem has gone overboard. US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that she would lose her job as head of the Department of Homeland Security. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican senator from Oklahoma, will now take her place. However, he must first be confirmed by the Senate on March 31st. This is what is known about the Republican:
policy
The conservative Mullin has been in the Senate since 2023. He is the only senator without at least a bachelor’s degree. He previously served in Congress for ten years.
The Republican was loud BBC Trump supporter since he took office in Washington. This also includes the administration’s immigration policy before Noem was removed. He also criticized the shutdown last fall, which also affected the Department of Homeland Security. He blames the Democrats for this.
At the same time, Mullin is clearly against abortion. In this context, he also supported several petitions in Congress that called for stricter rules on abortion.
Mullin was at the Capitol in 2021 when it was stormed by angry Trump supporters. He helped barricade doors and threatened the intruders that he would fight them if necessary. When Trump later wanted to pardon imprisoned Capitol stormers, Mullin warned against this step. He believes that anyone who attacks the police will undoubtedly have to pay for it. Trump did it anyway. Mullin then told CNN that with Trump’s election, the American people have decided to look forward.
Promise
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the conservative Mullin said he would work to enforce policies passed by Congress, even if they didn’t reflect his views.
At the same time, he also indicated that he wanted to take action on the immigration issue. In the past he had made it clear several times that he was one of the hardliners. “I don’t care if you’ve been here for a year or 20 years. If you’re here illegally, you’re a criminal,” he says in a video on Instagram. There is no difference between small and large crimes.
Provocations
Mullin has been known to Americans since that moment in the Senate when he voted in November 2023 Union boss Sean O’Brien challenged him to a fight. O’Brien had previously criticized Mullin on social media, calling him a clown, among other things. Bernie Sanders stepped in to prevent a fight.
The dispute in the Senate in the video:
The two have now publicly resolved their dispute, as Mullin himself announced on social media. Opposite The Hill O’Brien also announced that he was supporting Mullin in his new position. “If anyone wants to get off their ass to protect America, it’s Markwayne Mullin.”
But Mullin makes no secret of the fact that he likes to offend. Just in February he posted a video on X in which he attacked Senator Bernie Sanders. When Mullin accused Mullin of attacking him during a discussion, Mullin countered shortly afterwards: “If I were interested in your opinion, I would ask you about it. But I don’t do that. I don’t care about your opinion.”
MULLIN: “ACA is unaffordable.”
BERNIE SANDERS: “You’re attacking me.”
MULLIN: “If I cared about your opinion, I would ask you, but I don’t—you’re part of the problem—because you’ve been sitting here longer than I’ve even been alive!” pic.twitter.com/Ug6ogSwYPr
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) February 25, 2026
Mullin also attracted criticism at the end of January after 37-year-old Alex Petti was killed by ICE agents. They claimed that Petti had pulled out a gun. Mullin commented two days later: “Law-abiding citizens have every right to bear arms. However, you do NOT have the right to obstruct law enforcement authorities in their operation or to commit any other criminal offense. It’s not complicated.”
Law-abiding citizens have every right to carry a firearm. You DO NOT have a right to obstruct law enforcement activity, or commit another felony with one. This is not difficult.
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) January 26, 2026
Mullin also defended the killing of Renee Good. He believes the ICE officers had no other choice.
Life
Mullin grew up in the country and was a former mixed martial arts fighter. The 48-year-old is married and has six children. At the age of 20, he took over his father’s plumbing business when his father became ill. He now owns several companies.
According to CNN, the devout Christian is a member of the Cherokee Nation, now the largest indigenous tribe in North America.