Senate Showdown: Mullin and O’Brien’s Heated Exchange Almost Turns Physical

Tensions ran high on Capitol Hill on Tuesday when a heated exchange between Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, almost turned into a fistfight.

The confrontation occurred during a hearing on labor unions in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Mullin, a former MMA fighter, was questioning O’Brien when he referenced a previous hearing in March when he and O’Brien had a heated exchange over Mullin’s background as a business owner and O’Brien’s salary as the union chief.

Mullin then recalled an interaction he had with O’Brien in June on Twitter, now known as X, and challenged him to a physical fight for charity. O’Brien refused, and the exchange quickly escalated. At one point, Mullin accused former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of assaulting him.

The hearing was eventually brought back to order, but the tension between Mullin and O’Brien remained palpable. The incident has sparked a debate over the appropriateness of physical confrontations in the Senate.

Mullin has since apologized for his behavior, saying he was “taken aback” by O’Brien’s comments and that he “should have handled the situation differently.” O’Brien has also expressed regret for his part in the exchange, saying he should have been more respectful.