WASHINGTON — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) ripped his colleague, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), at the start of the latter’s confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security, calling him “a man with anger issues” who “has no regrets about brawling in a Senate committee.”
The shocking words from the GOP chairman were made just minutes after the high-stakes hearing kicked off, with Paul also sharing personal frustrations that Mullin called him “a freaking snake” who deserved to have six of his ribs broken by a neighbor over political differences.
“You were confronted by constituents that were angry because you voted against my amendment to stop all funding for refugee welfare programs,” Paul said.
“Instead of explaining your vote to continue these welfare programs for refugees, you decided to transfer the blame. You told the media that I was ‘a freaking snake,’ and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted.”
The Homeland Security panel chair added that he “was shocked” that Mullin “would justify and celebrate this violent assault that caused me so much pain.”
A neighbor in Paul’s Bowling Green, Ky., gated community pummeled the senator outside his home in November 2017, leaving Paul with six cracked ribs and a damaged lung.
“A Trump-hating felon attacked me from behind in my yard,” the chairman recalled Wednesday. “I was wearing noise-cancellation headphones — never saw him coming, running pell-mell down the hill.”
The Republican chairman said he later had a portion of his lung removed and suffered an infection due to complications following surgery.
“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul underscored.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the ranking member on the Homeland Security panel, also shared that he had “reservations” about Mullin’s confirmation.
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“While I’m interested in hearing more about your vision for leading the department, I do have reservations about your readiness to take on such a significant role at such a critical time.”
The hearing took place 13 days after President Trump announced the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following criticism from Senate Republicans of her leadership at DHS.
The GOPers slammed Noem for greenlighting a $220 million ad campaign aimed at encouraging illegal aliens to self-deport —s tarring her.
Trump also disputed that she had asked for and received presidential authorization for the nine-figure ad blitz.
The controversy followed the fatal shootings in January of two American citizens by federal immigration officers in Minnesota, triggering bipartisan backlash against Noem.
