Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, didn’t hold back during a heated moment at a Senate hearing on Tuesday. As Democratic senators grilled Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Mullin accused them of hypocrisy.
He said, “It’s pretty hypocritical for senators, especially on the other side, to question his qualifications, especially when their own aren’t any better.” Mullin was referring to the intense questioning about Hegseth’s past—specifically, claims that he had shown up to work intoxicated. Hegseth has denied these allegations.
Mullin wasn’t done yet. He turned the tables on the senators, calling out their own past behavior. “How many senators have shown up drunk to vote at night?” he asked, prompting some laughter in the room. He went further, asking, “Did you ever ask them to step down? No.” Mullin reminded everyone that no one has called for their resignation over such incidents, yet they were quick to attack Hegseth.
The Oklahoma senator also highlighted the double standard when it came to personal mistakes. He pointed out, “How many senators do you know have gotten a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No.” He slammed the senators for making a spectacle out of one man’s past mistakes while overlooking their own.
Mullin wrapped up his remarks with a personal touch, thanking Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, for standing by him. “The only reason I’m not in prison today is because my wife loved me too. I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve changed,” he said.
In a moment of raw honesty, Mullin reminded the room that no one is perfect—least of all those passing judgment on others. It was a bold statement on accountability and fairness in politics.
