President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he has chosen Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to be his pick for Secretary of Homeland Security. If confirmed, Mullin would replace Gov. Kristi Noem, who has overseen a wide and controversial crackdown on immigration while leading the department. Trump said on his social platform that Mullin will focus on tightening the border, stopping migrant crime and drug flows, and protecting American communities.
Mullin responded on social media, thanking the president for the nomination and calling public service to Oklahoma “the greatest honor and privilege.” A relatively recent arrival in the Senate, he has emerged as a close Trump ally and a vocal supporter of the administration’s immigration enforcement posture.
Congressional service and roles
– Mullin began his federal legislative career after winning election to the U.S. House in 2012 and taking office in January 2013. About ten years later he won a special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by James Inhofe.
– He is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and is the first tribal citizen to serve in the Senate since 2005.
– Mullin has publicly defended numerous Trump administration decisions, including supporting strikes against Iran and backing the administration’s immigration policies.
– In the Senate he sits on several committees: Appropriations, Armed Services, Indian Affairs, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
– As a member of the Appropriations Committee he takes part in writing and negotiating federal spending bills, including discussions about funding for DHS. The department has been operating without annual appropriations funding since Feb. 14.
Background before politics
– Mullin ran his family construction business, Mullin Plumbing, taking over when his father fell ill.
– He hosted a home improvement talk-radio program and continued to receive income related to that work after entering Congress, according to a House Ethics Committee report.
– Mullin attended college on a wrestling scholarship, is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and left school before completing a four-year degree to help run the family business; he holds an associate degree in construction technology.
– He is also a former mixed martial arts fighter.
Confirmation process and Senate dynamics
– Trump said Mullin would begin the DHS role on March 31, but that date is contingent on Senate confirmation. The Senate must approve the nomination before he can assume the job.
– As part of confirmation, Mullin is expected to appear before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Media accounts have noted past clashes between Mullin and the committee’s chairman, Rand Paul (R-Ky.), which could shape the hearing.
– Mullin told reporters he learned of the selection shortly before the president announced it and said he and Trump will “get on the same page” about the duties and priorities of the role.
What happens to his Senate seat
– Mullin was up for reelection this year. Oklahoma law allows the governor to appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of the term through Jan. 2027, which would avoid an immediate vacancy in the Senate.
– Candidates still have time to declare for the full term if they choose to run.
Bottom line: Mullin is a recent U.S. senator with a background in construction, small business and combat sports who has become a close Trump ally and outspoken supporter of stricter immigration enforcement. His nomination to lead DHS would shift him from the Senate to a Cabinet role if the Senate confirms him, and the governor of Oklahoma would then name a temporary successor to his seat.