President Donald Trump’s pick to take over the Department of Homeland Security has spent his life doing two things: building businesses and picking fights — and he usually wins both.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., 48, was named by Trump as Kristi Noem replacement Thursday as DHS secretary.
Trump announced the selection on Truth Social, calling Mullin “a MAGA Warrior, and former undefeated professional MMA fighter” who “truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda.” He is pending Senate confirmation, which is predicted to go smoothly.
“A little kid from west Oklahoma gets to serve in the president’s cabinet — that’s pretty neat,” Mullins responded.
Born in Tulsa and raised near the Arkansas border, Mullin attended Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship before his life took a sharp turn. Mullin dropped out of school in his early 20s when his father fell ill and took over the family business. He and his wife Christie turned Mullin Plumbing into the largest service company in the region and eventually expanded into multiple other ventures, including Mullin Environmental and Rowan’s Steakhouse. The couple have six children.
Mullin earned an associate degree in construction technology from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2010. That makes him the only currently serving U.S. senator without a bachelor’s degree.
Before politics, Mullin also competed as a professional mixed martial arts fighter, going 5-0 in the ring. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He also hosted a home improvement show on talk radio.
He was first elected to the House in 2012, representing Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District for a decade before winning a special election in 2022 to fill the Senate seat left open when longtime Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe retired midterm due to health issues.
Mullin has served in the Senate since January 2023, sitting on the Appropriations, Armed Services, Indian Affairs, and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committees.
A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mullin is the first tribal citizen to serve in the U.S. Senate in nearly two decades. When confirmed as DHS secretary, he will become only the second Native American Cabinet secretary in American history.