Mullin Calls Democrats’ DHS Funding Demands ‘Political Theater’ Targeting Trump’s Upcoming Address

Markwayne Mullin on Sunday declared that Democrats’ demands to tie Department of Homeland Security funding to a potential shutdown constitute “political theater” aimed at disrupting President Donald Trump’s upcoming annual address to Congress.

During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the Oklahoma senator said the dispute is “nothing but a distraction,” strategically timed with Trump’s State of the Union address. Mullin criticized Democrats for attempting to hold Transportation Security Administration workers, Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel, and Coast Guard officials hostage over an issue that cannot be resolved through shutdown measures, calling this effort “ridiculous.”

The senator asserted that Democrats’ goal of halting immigration enforcement is unattainable, pointing to long-term funding already in place for key agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol operations. “They’re not stopping ICE from doing their job,” Mullin stated. “They’re not stopping the border patrol from doing their job.”

Mullin explained that these agencies are funded through the “One Big Beautiful Bill” until 2028, while only FEMA, the Coast Guard, and TSA would be affected by the proposed shutdown. When questioned about supporting Democratic proposals involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, Mullin endorsed body cameras but opposed visible photo identification for law enforcement agents. He warned that Democrats have engaged in “doxxing” by targeting agents’ identities at places of worship, hotels, and restaurants: “What are you going to do? Expose their faces so you can intimidate their families?”