President Donald Trump has picked U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, to lead the country’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Mullin’s election follows Trump’s firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her position on March 5 and his social media announcement that she would be replaced as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, the president’s security initiative against drug trafficking in the western hemisphere.
Mullin has come under fire and attracted attention to his military background in recent weeks due to remarks he made concerning the “smell of war” in Iran.
He said during an interview with Fox News, “War is ugly, smells bad, and if anybody’s ever been there, and been able to smell the war that’s happened around you and taste it and feel it in your nostrils and hear it, it’s something that you’ll never forget, and it’s ugly.”
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Does Mullin have any military experience?
Questions about whether Mullin served in the military have surged after his comment on Fox News about experience during wartime.
Senators and users online questioned the military experience that enabled him to label war as “ugly” and something that “smells bad” that one can “feel it in your nostrils and hear it, it’s something that you’ll never forget.”
According to The Oklahoman, Rep. Pat Rayn (D-New York) also questioned Mullin’s military experience. However, according to publicly available biographical records, Mullin has not served in the US military, despite serving on congressional committees that oversee national defense and veterans’ issues.
The Republican politician instead built his career as a businessman, rancher and brief professional mixed martial arts fighter before entering politics.
His 2022 senator election campaign website stated that he is a “fighter for America,” and referred to his legislative roles since joining the House of Representatives in 2012. Mullin is also listed as a “former professional fighter,” reflecting his prior MMA experience.
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Mullin’s role in the current US-Iran conflict
Mullin has served on legislative committees that address defense and national security matters, including the House Armed Services Committee during his tenure in the House, despite not having served in the armed forces.
On Saturday, the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran, killing many Iranian succession hopefuls and igniting an escalation throughout the Middle East. Mullin has recently and increasingly become one of the faces of the conflict.
On Tuesday, Mullin responded to reporters gathered at the U.S. Capitol, saying, “ This is war, and we’re taking out the threat. And if you’re part of the threat, then you’re a target.”
Mullin was immediately questioned about labelling the US-Iran conflict a “war.” He said, “We haven’t declared war. They declared war on us, but we haven’t… We haven’t declared it.”
Moreover, Mullin might have not armed forces, but his remarks on Fox News might allude to his 2021 trip to the Middle East, where he “helped get Americans out of Afghanistan.”
The then-representative revealed in 2021 that he was in Afghanistan during the Biden administration’s troop pullout.