WATCH: Sen. Paul asks DHS nominee Mullin if he believes violence can resolve political differences

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., asked Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., on Wednesday if he believes that political disputes can be resolved by violence. “I don't always agree with that. I don't believe in political violence. I've made that very clear,” Mullin said in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In an opening statement, Paul took the Cabinet secretary nominee to task over public remarks he made after Paul was assaulted by a neighbor in 2017. Mullin, who is President Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, said Paul was engaging in “character assassination.” Paul also cited statements by the Oklahoma Republican that there’s historical precedence for violence, such caning and dueling, to resolve political differences between lawmakers. Mullin said there were some rules that still applied to this body, saying dueling between two consenting adults was still on the books. “It’s been illegal for 170 years,” Paul interjected. “There's no precedent for legal dueling.” The senator then raised Mullin’s comments in a CNN interview that he had “no regrets” after getting into a near-brawl with a witness at a 2023 Senate committee hearing. “Mr. Chairman, you're going to have your opinion. I'm going to have mine as the secretary of homeland security,” Mullin said. “I'm going to bring peace of mind and security to this country, and I'm going to stay laser focused on that.” Trump tapped Mullin to take over the embattled agency from Kristi Noem, who was fired earlier this month after her leadership came under bipartisan scrutiny during tense congressional hearings. Mullin was elected to Congress in 2012 and has branded himself as a businessman and a Washington outsider. As Homeland Security secretary, Mullin, a former business owner, would take charge of one of the biggest government agencies, leading the nation’s disaster response, counterterrorism efforts, border security and the president’s mass deportation agenda. A former mixed martial arts fighter who once challenged the Teamsters president to a fight during a Senate hearing, Mullin has pledged to stay “focused on protecting the homeland" if he is confirmed. The Republican Party is considering a pivot on how it approaches immigration enforcement as more voters grow concerned over DHS agents’ aggressive tactics, which has led to the shooting deaths of at least three U.S. citizens since Trump retook office. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6 Follow us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews X: http://www.twitter.com/newshour Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour