What A Day Meet Trump's Pick To Lead DHS
20 snips
Mar 17, 2026 
Burgess Everett, Congressional bureau chief at Semafor who covers Capitol Hill and nominations, breaks down Markwayne Mullin’s contentious DHS nomination. Short takes cover Mullin’s background, why Trump picked him, the Senate hearing dynamics, the DHS funding stalemate, and other Hill battles to watch this week.
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Mullin Mirrors Noem On Immigration And Loyalty
- Markwayne Mullin aligns with Kristi Noem in rhetoric and pro-Trump positions around immigration and elections.
- Jane Coaston and Burgess Everett cite Mullin's repeated labeling of protests and suspects as "domestic terrorism" and his endorsement of 2020 stolen-election claims.
Reporter Meets Mullin While He Campaigned For A Notorious Candidate
- Burgess Everett recounts meeting Mullin on a 2014 campaign trip where Mullin campaigned for a scandal-plagued congressman from Louisiana.
- Everett highlights Mullin's working-class image, no traditional bachelor's degree, and habit of bouncing a rubber ball in the Capitol.
Junior Senator Became Capitol Fixer
- Mullin rose as a Capitol "fixer" by brokering between House, Senate, and White House despite being a junior senator.
- Everett ties his emergence to post-2022 tensions over Ukraine aid and border deals where he helped triangulate positions.