President Donald Trump’s second Department of Homeland Security secretary, just over a year into his second term, is already navigating turbulent waters, but it’s not Markwayne Mullin’s political opponents stirring up the trouble.
It’s coming from inside the administration, his own Republican party, right-wing pundits, and social influencers after Mullin sparked a MAGA meltdown over remarks he made at a bipartisan governors’ meeting.
That’s according to a report from Politico published Monday, and the fallout is serious enough that it could jeopardize his job.
White House Slams Mullin
An anonymous source told the news outlet Mullin is now facing backlash from inside the White House.
“It takes a lot to unite this administration around a cohesive point of view,” the source said. “Mullin deserves credit where credit is due. Everyone agrees he sucks donkey butt.”
Whatever any previous criticism of Mullin may have been, it all boiled over Saturday after Mullin addressed the National Governors Association in Oklahoma City at their summer meeting.
Mullin Speaks on TPS
Part of what so infuriated the MAGA sphere was Mullin’s seeming support of amnesty for migrant workers.
“What I encourage people to do is to help yourself. You have to try to go through the system legally. If you came over and you got Temporary Protected Status, in its name itself it says ‘temporary.’ Yes, we’re ending Temporary Protected Status because it’s temporary,” Mullin stated.
But he also said TPS doesn’t mean immigrants can’t try to change their status, something that really set off the hardline anti-immigration hawks in the MAGA movement.
But he kept going, seemingly unaware that he was actually making sense and stating what so many middle-of-the-road lawmakers have been saying for years.
“If we’re looking to grow our economy, we need more permanent solutions on (work visas), because this narrative that it steals American jobs is true in some industries; it’s not true for all industries,” the former U.S. senator from Oklahoma told top state officials.
“It is America. We want to take care of Americans first. It’s our economy, it’s our homeland, but there’s a way to utilize labor where we’re not having the participation rate we need to, and we can plug those holes,” he added.
Mullin Tries to Walk Back Comments
MAGA diehards erupted at the suggestion of legal immigration and bringing in needed workers, with Trump ally and right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon leading the charge, telling Politico, “Mullin is the wrong guy at the wrong time for the wrong job, a time when we need focus on mass deportations; we get an amnesty advocate.”
Mullin, who quickly faced MAGA’s wrath, tried to clean up his moderate-sounding views, taking to social media later that evening and backtracking on what he told the governors.
“NO amnesty for illegal aliens. Ever. We are a nation of laws. If you are illegally present in the United States of America— you will be detained and deported. Period,” Mullin proclaimed, trying to sound tough again.
MAGA Responds to Mullin
But it may have been a case of too little too late.
Mullin so infuriated the MAGA world that there’s a new directive from the White House barring Mullin from participating in any interviews, purported independent journalist Breanna Morello claimed in an X post.
Social media lit up with comments accusing Mullin of “lying” to him and warning him that his job is on the line.
“You do know how the internet works, right? We can still see your words from 2 weeks ago, when you were pro-amnesty. You are just a lying senator,” an X user accused.
X user KCGogo45 wrote, “Another politician talking out both sides of their mouth. Which is it Mullen?? I think you better tread carefully or Trump will say, you’re fired! You’re either with us or against us and the way you’ve been sounding off lately, it seems you’re against us. We want all illegals gone! Get it done or step down!
This MAGA voter was outraged and sent Mullin an angry message on X.
“Secretary, your post on X don’t matter what you’re telling the governors. Will you be deporting anyone in the country illegally or will you only be deporting the ‘worst of the worst’. The American people voted for mass deportation of anyone in the country illegally. If you can’t get that done, then you should resign so someone that is more capable can come in and do your job correctly.”
Trump’s Immigration Promise
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed, if re-elected, he planned to go after violent illegal immigrants and gang members with criminal records, those endangering Americans.
Once back in office, though, Trump staged deadly immigration crackdowns in mostly Democratic-led cities, rounding up not only criminals but law-abiding and hardworking migrants, many who were brought to the U.S. as children.
Mullin may have crossed the line with his speech to governors, and he wouldn’t be the first.
Trump axed his first DHS chief, former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, after Congressional hearings earlier this year where Noem threw Trump under the bus over a $200 million ad she claimed he approved. He denied it, saying he didn’t know anything about it.
