Mullin exchange in Senate hearing nearly leads to a brawl

A U.S. Senate committee hearing sounded like a standoff from the Old West on Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., didn’t like a social media post from Teamsters President Sean O’Brien that called him a “clown and fraud” and then challenged Mullin.

“Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings,” O’Brien said in the post made in July. “You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy.”

After reading the post during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, Mullin challenged O’Brien.

“This is a time. This is a place,” Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, said. “You want to run your mouth, we can finish it here. Do you want to do it now?”

“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien replied.

“Then stand your butt up,” Mullin said.

“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien said.

Mullin and O’Brien stood up but were stopped by Committee Chair Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, who told Mullin to sit down.

“You are a United States senator,” Sanders said.

Mullin posted the exchange on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

“In Oklahoma, if you run your mouth, you get called out. Period,” Mullin said. 

Messages to the offices of The International Brotherhood of Teamsters were not immediately returned.