Rand Paul to oversee confirmation hearing of Markwayne Mullin, who once called him a ‘snake’

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a confirmation hearing ready to take place, and he will have to reckon with an intra-party feud in the process.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, will soon undergo the rigorous Senate confirmation process after being chosen by Trump to replace embattled DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

It will first go through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee before heading to a full confirmation vote in the Senate.

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., aims to hold a confirmation hearing for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on March 18, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Homeland Security panel, wants to hold Mullin’s hearing next week. The White House formally sent Mullin’s nomination to the Senate on Monday, according to congressional records.

“We will shoot for a week starting Wednesday if all the materials come in,” Paul said.

But Mullin and Paul have a personal dispute that could spill over into the confirmation hearing.

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Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma,’s path to leading the Department of Homeland Security won’t be easy in the Senate, where Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., already opposes his nomination. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In February, Mullin criticized Paul at an event with constituents for his perennial votes against Republican priorities, like spending bills or other elements of Trump’s agenda, like last year’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Oklahoma journalist David Arnett reported in a lengthy profile of Mullin that at the event the lawmaker was asked about an amendment to a Paul spending plan that he voted against.

Mullin warned that Paul was “trying to kill the Farm Bill because he was trying to legalize hemp for beverages in Kentucky due to tobacco industry changes,” then delved into Paul’s voting history before lashing out at the 2017 incident in which the Kentucky Republican was attacked by his neighbor following a lawn dispute.

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President Donald Trump listens during a Taxpayer Protection Pledge event in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington, March 4, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

“I respect Bernie Sanders because he’s an open socialist, and you know he’s a communist, so you know what you’re getting,” Mullin said. “Rand Paul is a fucking snake. And I completely understand why his neighbor did what he did. And I told him that to his face.”

This insult to Paul could come up during his confirmation hearing, but Mullin should easily clear that first hurdle, given that most Republicans on the panel will back him and he has the backing of Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.

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Paul shrugged off the incident Monday when he told reporters, “I’m going to reserve judgment now, and we’ll probably know a lot more.”

“I would suggest coming to the hearing though,” Paul said. “I think it will be interesting.”