(Washington) The hearing before a Senate committee of Markwayne Mullin, chosen by Donald Trump to succeed Kristi Noem as head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), opened Wednesday with a tense exchange with its Republican president, Rand Paul.
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To be ratified, his appointment must be approved by a majority by this parliamentary committee, then by the Senate, where the Republicans are in the majority.
The hearing of Markwayne Mullin, 48, elected senator in 2022 after 10 years in the House of Representatives, comes two weeks after the dismissal of Kristi Noem.
First to speak, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul questioned Markwayne Mullin about comments he made about the Kentucky senator’s attack by a neighbor in 2017. He called Rand Paul a “snake” and said he “understood.”
“Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it,” said the chosen one.
PHOTO EVAN VUCCI, REUTERS
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul
“And while you’re at it, explain to Americans why they should trust an angry man to set an example for immigration and border officials? “, on the front line in the anti-immigration offensive wanted by Donald Trump, he continued.
“I didn’t say that I condoned, I said that I understood, there is a difference,” replied Markwayne Mullin, portrayed as a “MAGA warrior” by Donald Trump.
“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against his political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has had difficulty accepting limits on the reasonable use of force,” Rand Paul asked.
Republican senators have a majority of eight elected out of fifteen on the Homeland Security Committee. One of its Democratic members, John Fetterman, said Wednesday that he had an “open mind” to the nomination of Markwayne Mullin.
The latter, who described Donald Trump as a “friend”, set the goal that “within six months, (the DHS) will no longer be in the news every day”.
Donald Trump separated two weeks ago from Kristi Noem, weakened in particular by the highly criticized anti-immigration operations of recent months in Minneapolis, during which two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal agents.
Markwayne Mullin on Wednesday distanced himself from his own statements regarding Alex Pretti, whom he called a “disturbed individual”.
“I shouldn’t have said that, and as secretary, I wouldn’t,” he admitted. I spoke too quickly. I reacted quickly without knowing the facts. »
