Senate Hearing on Verge of 'Literal Brawl' - Then Bernie Sanders Intervenes
A long-running social media feud between Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and a Teamsters union official nearly turned into a fight Tuesday on the Senate floor.
Oddly enough, order was only restored after an intervention from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien was addressing the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions when Mullin addressed him and made their personal beef all of the country’s business.
The men have clashed before. During a March hearing, a heated confrontation featured O’Brien telling the senator he was “out of line,” while Mullin told O’Brien to “you need to shut your mouth.”
Sanders had to intervene then as well.
On Monday, as Mullin addressed O’Brien, he read a June tweet from the union official that poked fun at Mullin’s height and that mockingly addressed him as “cowboy.”
“Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self made,” O’Brien wrote about Mullin, whose plumbing company serves Northeast Oklahoma.
O’Brien also included a photo of Mullin standing on a box at a debate from last fall.
Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self made. In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy. #LittleManSyndrome pic.twitter.com/JNvT7IsA6m
— Sean M. O’Brien (@TeamsterSOB) June 21, 2023
“In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be,” O’Brien wrote. “Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy.”
O’Brien used the tag, “#LittleManSyndrome.”
As Mullin, 46, read the tweet on Tuesday, the senator, mixed martial artist and former wrestler, told O’Brien, “I wish you were in the truck with me when I was building the company myself and my wife was running the office.”
“I sure remember working pretty hard and long hours,” Mullin added.
Mullin then referred back to O’Brien’s tweet – specifically the line, “You know where to find me.”
“Sir, this is a time, this is a place,” Mullin said as he stared at O’Brien. “If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here.”
O’Brien, 51, shot back, “OK, that’s fine. Perfect.”
Mullin responded, “You want to do it now?”
“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien said.
Mullin fired back, “Stand your butt up, then.”
O’Brien replied, “You stand your butt up.”
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin @SenMullin just stood up and tried to fight labor leader Sean O’Brien @TeamsterSOB at a Senate Help Committee hearing after reading his tweet where O’Brien says he’d take him “any time, any place.” pic.twitter.com/8oiPSNZJV8
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 14, 2023
Mullin then rose from his chair and motioned as if he was going to take his wedding ring off.
Sanders, meanwhile, began to shout at both men and called for a de-escalation.
“No, hold up – stop it!” Sanders senator shouted. “Hold it, hold it – hold it!”
Order was restored to the hearing.
Ian Kullgren with Bloomberg shared additional details about the near-fight in the Senate, declaring that, “This is the most insane thing I have ever seen on Capitol Hill.”
“We’re not going to be talking about physical confrontation,” Sanders says
— Ian Kullgren (@IanKullgren) November 14, 2023
“You’re biggest thug here,” O’Brien tells Mullin
— Ian Kullgren (@IanKullgren) November 14, 2023
It was a close one, but looks like Sanders cooled things down. Committee has moved on to questions from other members.
— Ian Kullgren (@IanKullgren) November 14, 2023
Mullin entered the Senate this year after 10 years in the House of Representatives that included seeing the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol incursion first-hand. He is a member of Oklahoma’s Wrestling Hall of Fame and was undefeated as a professional MMA fighter, according to his Senate biography page.
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