Trump’s new pick for DHS is an ex-MMA fighter on wrestling hall of fame

Oklahoma senator gets the DHS nod

President Trump nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma on March 5 to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Mullin would replace Kristi Noem, who Trump fired the same day after a rough week of criticism from both parties over her leadership. Trump called Mullin a “MAGA Warrior” and praised his ability to get along with people.

The transition is set for March 31, pending Senate confirmation. Mullin told reporters the announcement caught him off guard.

Mullin built a business before entering politics

Mullin grew up on a family ranch in Westville, a small farming town in eastern Oklahoma. He was the youngest of seven kids, born in Tulsa in 1977.

He went to Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship but left at 20 when his father got sick.

He and his wife, Christie, took over the family plumbing company and turned it into the largest service business in the region.

He later earned an associate degree in construction technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2010, making him the only current senator without a bachelor’s degree.

He could be the first Native American DHS chief

Mullin is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. If the Senate confirms him, he would become the first Native American to lead DHS.

He is already the first Native American senator since Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado retired in 2005, and only the second Cherokee Nation citizen ever elected to the Senate. The first was Robert L. Owen, who served from 1907 to 1925.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. called the nomination a moment of “collective significance” for the tribe.

He fought professionally and never lost

Before politics, Mullin competed as a professional MMA fighter in 2006 and 2007.

His Senate biography lists a 5-0 record, though major MMA databases show three verified professional bouts, all wins. Wrestling shaped his early life.

He switched schools four times just to keep competing after programs got cut. The Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame named him Outstanding American in 2016.

He still coaches youth wrestlers today, including his own kids.

A Senate hearing almost turned into a fistfight

In November 2023, Mullin challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a physical fight during a Senate hearing.

Mullin read aloud social media posts where O’Brien had called him names and dared him to settle things in person. Committee Chairman Sen. Bernie Sanders banged his gavel and told Mullin to sit down.

The two later patched things up after meeting privately at Trump’s request.

When the DHS nomination dropped, O’Brien praised Mullin, saying he would stand up to protect America.

Mullin served five House terms first

Mullin won his first House race in 2012, representing Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District with the slogan “A rancher. A businessman. Not a politician.” He served five terms before jumping to the Senate.

In 2022, he won a special election to fill the seat left open by retiring Sen. Jim Inhofe and took office on Jan. 3, 2023.

In the Senate, he sits on the Appropriations, Armed Services, Indian Affairs, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees.

Trump leaned on Mullin as a go-between

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has called Mullin a “Senate whisperer” for Trump, someone who relays concerns between the president and lawmakers.

Mullin helped negotiate federal funding for DHS through his Appropriations seat, the very agency he would now run. He also campaigned hard for Trump in 2024, reaching out to Indigenous voters in battleground states.

During talks over the 2025 Republican tax and spending bill, he served as an informal link between the House and Senate.

Critics point to his lack of security experience

Mullin has no law enforcement or national security background. His career before Congress centered on business, ranching, and plumbing.

DHS is one of the largest federal law enforcement agencies in the country, overseeing immigration enforcement, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and disaster response.

Supporters say his business management skills and legislative work on border security prepare him for the job. Critics question whether someone with no operational security experience should run such a large agency.

He wants tougher immigration enforcement

Mullin has been one of the loudest Senate voices backing Trump’s immigration approach.

He championed the immigration sections of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which set aside billions for border wall construction and new ICE agents.

On his Senate website, he calls for completing the border wall, bringing back the Remain in Mexico policy, and ending what he describes as incentives for unauthorized crossings.

In a CNBC interview last month, Mullin said all Americans should carry proof of citizenship in case law enforcement stops them.

Confirmation faces a few hurdles

Mullin needs Senate confirmation before he can lead DHS.

Legal experts say he cannot serve as acting secretary while his nomination is pending because federal vacancy law requires the person to already hold an executive branch position.

If he is not confirmed by March 31, the deputy secretary would step in as acting chief.

He must appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, with whom he has clashed before. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina praised him as a great choice.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would oppose any DHS nominee until the agency and ICE are, in his words, reined in.

Oklahoma governor picks the replacement senator

If confirmed, Mullin must give up his Senate seat. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt would appoint a temporary replacement under state law.

That person must have been a registered Republican for at least five years and must sign an oath agreeing not to run for the seat in the next election.

Since Mullin’s seat was already up for a regular election in November 2026, there will be no separate special election. The winner in November takes the seat for a full term.

DHS faces a leadership gap and a budget crunch

Noem’s last day is March 31. If the Senate has not confirmed Mullin by then, the deputy secretary becomes acting chief under federal law.

DHS has operated without annual funding since Feb. 14, adding to the challenges ahead. Mullin told reporters he plans to be practical and wants DHS to work for all Americans regardless of party.

His confirmation hearings are expected to focus on immigration enforcement, disaster response, and how the agency spends its money.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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