Homeland Security Needs Competence More Than Another Showdown – RedState
Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing to head the Department of Homeland Security is expected to be a serious deliberation on how to secure a porous border and restore morale to a beleaguered department. Instead, it was treated by Senate Democrats as yet another proxy war against President Trump.
This partisan framework serves the interests of the Washington DC donor class and cable news pundits, but it fails the American people, who are far less interested in “gotcha” questions than in a simple, fundamental reality: a nation without borders is not a nation.
Mullin is exactly the kind of foreigner DHS needs. It is not a product of the administrative state; he’s a former plumbing contractor, collegiate wrestler and MMA fighter who knows results matter more than rhetoric. Having represented Oklahoma in Congress, he understands the frustration of Americans in the Heartland who see their tax dollars spent on agencies that, for years, seemed more interested in “processing” illegal entries than stopping them.
🚨 BREAKING: Border Czar Tom Homan Expresses FULL SUPPORT for Markwayne Mullin for DHS Secretary After His Confirmation Hearing Today@RealTomHoman: “He is the right person, at the right time and in the right position. I fully support him. I have spoken to him every day, several… pic.twitter.com/PadsODTcyA
– Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 18, 2026
Critics point to his frankness and unwavering support for the president’s border mandate. On the contrary, in a ministry often paralyzed by bureaucracy, Mullin’s clarity of objectives is his greatest asset.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin became visibly emotional during his DHS confirmation hearing while recounting a personal moment involving President Trump.
Mullin shared that in the midst of the intense 2020 presidential election, President Trump took the time to personally check in on his… pic.twitter.com/yZJxD07XoB
– Bruce Snyder (@realBruceSnyder) March 18, 2026
The hearings took place in a shameful political context. For more than a month, Democrats have held DHS funding hostage, demanding sweeping restrictions on ICE and CBP — including a ban on basic enforcement tools — as a ransom to keep the lights on.
This fabricated crisis has forced TSA agents and Border Patrol agents to work without pay, straining our national security in the name of an anti-law enforcement agenda. Republicans are right to stay the course: national security should never be a bargaining chip for those who seek to defund or “reform” the law to make it disappear.
🚨 BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman just paid a RESPECTFUL compliment to Senator Markwayne Mullin during his nomination hearing for DHS Secretary:
“My experience with you was marked by constant kindness and professionalism.”
pic.twitter.com/xxjFXIlSYG–Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) March 18, 2026
Much has been made of the tragic incidents that occurred in Minneapolis involving Renee Good and Alex Pretti. While any loss of life is food for thought, the left has used these isolated flashes of conflict to unfairly demonize the entire federal law enforcement community. No conservative is arguing for a lack of accountability. Mullin himself has signaled a willingness to embrace modern transparency tools such as body cameras and independent reviews. But we must distinguish between real surveillance and the “legal war” waged by activists who want to make it legally impossible for an ICE officer to do their job. Supporting the thin blue line means ensuring that when officers complete their training to protect the public, the Department supports them.
SEE ALSO: Mullin’s emotional moment highlights urgency in DHS defunding fight
Elissa Slotkin and other Democrats crank up the TDS meter at Markwayne Mullin’s DHS confirmation hearing
Mullin’s mission is clear: He must move DHS away from the “micromanagement” of previous months and return to its core mission of law enforcement and disaster response. He has already demonstrated pragmatism, pledging to restructure FEMA rather than eliminating it, and focusing on empowering the men and women on the front lines. He doesn’t need to apologize for believing the law should mean what it says.
TRUMP’S DHS PICK IS IN THE HOT SEAT.
Markwayne Mullin used his confirmation hearing to push for funding for DHS and said, “We have to put partisanship aside.”
He also promised to end “micromanagement.” https://t.co/UGR68W5DwR
– The Floridian (@Floridianpress) March 18, 2026
The Senate should move quickly to confirm Mullin. If the left’s litmus test for a DHS secretary is a refusal to illegally deport those here, then no candidate from a law-and-order administration will ever be “qualified” in their eyes.
The true measure of Mullin’s success will be whether he is able to secure the border, protect our cities and run his department with the same tenacity and common sense that he brought to the wrestling mat and into the boardroom. It’s time to stop the grandstanding and let him get to work.
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