WASHINGTON — March 18, 2026 (The Oklahoma Post)
During today’s Senate confirmation hearing for Markwayne Mullin’s nomination as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) opened his remarks with a candid admission: the two senators don’t know each other particularly well...I don’t know you… was the theme.
“Other than working with No Labels, we don’t serve on the same committees, have never gone on a CODEL together, and that’s oftentimes how you get to know our colleagues,” Johnson told the committee. “So I don’t know you as well as some of the other people on the dais here.”
Johnson went on to praise Mullin’s opening statement as among the most genuine he had heard in 15 years of confirmation hearings.
The admission, while gracious in tone, glosses over at least one other thing Johnson and Mullin have in common: both are recipients of significant financial support from pro-Israel interests, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and affiliated donors, according to federal campaign finance data tracked by OpenSecrets.
According to OpenSecrets, Johnson has received more than $750,000 from pro-Israel individuals and political action committees over his career, including approximately $300,000 during the 2022 election cycle alone. Mullin, since beginning his Senate career, has received approximately $245,000 in pro-Israel contributions. His campaign committee received more than $1.9 million in total PAC contributions during the 2023 to 2024 cycle, with pro-Israel groups representing a portion of his ideological donor base.
Federal law prohibits corporations from donating directly to candidates. What is commonly called “AIPAC money” refers to a combination of direct contributions from the AIPAC PAC and bundled contributions from individual AIPAC members delivered collectively to campaigns. OpenSecrets tracks both categories as part of its broader monitoring of pro-Israel interest group influence on federal elections.
Johnson and Mullin may not have shared committee assignments or overseas congressional delegations. But the financial record suggests they have at least one more mutual acquaintance than Johnson let on from the dais.
No Labels, the bipartisan political organization Johnson cited as the basis for their working relationship, abandoned its effort to field a third-party presidential candidate in April 2024 after failing to attract a viable candidate willing to run on its unity ticket. The organization remains active, continuing its stated mission of promoting bipartisan problem-solving in Congress.
There is also this. There is a word for buying stocks while simultaneously casting votes that determine whether wars expand or contract, whether defense contractors get funded or don’t, whether the foreign policy posture of the United States tilts toward conflict or toward resolution. The word is “legal,” which in Washington is treated as synonymous with “fine.” Mullin’s financial disclosures show active trading during his Senate tenure, including purchases of UnitedHealth Group stock, a company whose fortunes are tied directly to the bodies and the budgets that flow through the machinery of government that Mullin is now being asked to run. Whether a man who has been financially rewarded by pro-Israel donor networks and who trades equities while voting on the policies that move markets is the right person to lead the Department of Homeland Security is, at minimum, a question worth asking out loud, even if Washington has decided it is impolite to do so.
Mullin’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee comes as DHS remains in its 33rd day of a partial government shutdown. Republicans hold an 8 to 7 majority on the committee, meaning Mullin needs a simple majority to advance to the full Senate. CNBC The hearing opened with a tense exchange between Mullin and committee chairman Rand Paul (R-KY), who confronted Mullin over reported comments in which Mullin called Paul a “freaking snake” and suggested he understood why a neighbor attacked Paul in 2017, leaving him with six broken ribs and part of his lung.
A final confirmation vote could come as soon as next week.
Writing By: Robbie Robertson | Editing by Robbie Robertson
Editor’s Note: Correction, March 19, 2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that No Labels dissolved in 2024. No Labels continues to operate as an active organization. Thank you.
Sources
Associated Press / NBC News Live Updates, March 5, 2026 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-congress-war-powers-dhs-funding-ballroom-elections-live-updates-rcna261251
ABC News, “Trump fires DHS secretary Kristi Noem, replaces her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin,” March 5, 2026 https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-privately-expresses-frustration-noem-after-senate-hearing/story?id=130794961
CNBC, “Trump taps Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary,” March 5, 2026 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/05/trump-kristi-noem-markwayne-mullin-dhs.html
Axios, “What to know about Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s new Homeland Security pick,” March 5, 2026 https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/markwayne-mullin-homeland-security-secretary-nominee
NPR / KUT, “Trump fires Kristi Noem as DHS chief, names Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her,” March 5, 2026 https://www.kut.org/politics/2026-03-05/trump-fires-kristi-noem-as-dhs-chief-names-sen-markwayne-mullin-to-replace-her
CBS12 / TNND, “Kristi Noem to step down as DHS Secretary; Trump names Sen. Markwayne Mullin successor,” March 5, 2026 https://cbs12.com/news/nation-world/trump-names-oklahoma-sen-markwayne-mullin-as-next-dhs-secretary-effective-march-31-kristi-noem-homeland-security-trump-administration-immigration-minnesota-shield-of-americas
5 News Online, “Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin named DHS Secretary amid Trump Cabinet shakeup,” March 5, 2026 https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/national/oklahoma-senator-markwayne-mullin-dhs-secretary-trump/527-613a9abd-fd72-4e9f-963b-8ddde3de66fa
OpenSecrets, Ron Johnson Pro-Israel contributions https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary?code=Q05
OpenSecrets, Markwayne Mullin campaign finance https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/markwayne-mullin/summary?cid=N00033326
OpenSecrets, AIPAC PAC candidate recipients, 2024 https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/american-israel-public-affairs-cmte/C00797670/candidate-recipients/2024
CBS News, Mullin confirmation hearing live updates, March 18, 2026 https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/markwayne-mullin-confirmation-hearing-live-updates-kristi-noem/
NBC News, Mullin DHS hearing live updates, March 18, 2026 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/markwayne-mullin-senate-hearing-trump-dhs-secretary-live-updates-rcna263959
CNBC, Mullin and Paul testy start at DHS confirmation hearing, March 18, 2026 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/18/markwayne-mullin-dhs-confirmation-senate-immigration.html
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Mullin nomination hearing https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/hearings/nomination-of-the-honorable-markwayne-mullin-to-be-secretary-u-s-department-of-homeland-security/
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