Trump’s New DHS Secretary Proudly Bragged About Hitting His Kids

March 24, 2026 — The president’s newly confirmed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has “no problem” with physically punishing his children, according to a newly resurfaced video. “I’ll tell you right now, I do spank, I have no problem with that,” the Oklahoma senator said in a 2023 speech to the City Elders, a group dedicated to “governing the gates of every city in America to establish the kingdom of God.”

Mullin is the father of six children, including two twin girls, whom he described as unimaginably “loving” even after they were spanked. “I can spank them and I’m still upset and they’ll come and crawl on my lap two minutes later and just hug on me,” he went on, before diving into a disturbing story about one of his daughters pleading for mercy before he hit her. “‘No, Daddy. No, Daddy. No, Daddy! No! I’m sorry, Daddy, I’m sorry, Dad,’” Mullin told the crowd, animatedly imitating his child. “She’d just get madder and madder and she just couldn’t bring herself to even bend over for me to bust her butt.”

In the same address, the diehard MAGA loyalist and former MMA fighter also recounted threatening to hit his daughter’s boyfriend if he kissed her, and reminisced fondly about his own childhood beatings. “If I ever see you kiss her in front of me, I’m dragging your face across the asphalt,” Mullins reportedly told the teenager, whom he said was a “good kid.” “I was raised by the fear of a belt,” Mullin said of his own father’s discipline tactics, which he claimed taught him respect and discipline. “We got to discipline people. That doesn’t mean you gotta discipline with hatred, you can discipline with love.”

Mullin was nominated earlier this month after former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was fired from her position. He was confirmed as Homeland Security Secretary on Monday. Along with his promotion of childhood abuse, the man who will be in charge of leading Trump’s volatile immigration crackdown has also tried to physically fight a union leader, covered Trump from Epstein files scrutiny, and mistaken Pete Hegseth as the president of the United States—twice.

Why it matters: Mullin’s views on discipline reflect a troubling perspective that could influence his policies as DHS Secretary. His endorsement of physical punishment raises questions about his approach to civil rights and the treatment of vulnerable populations under his jurisdiction.

What to watch:

Potential implications of Mullin’s disciplinary views on DHS policy and enforcement practices.
Public reactions and protests against his confirmation and statements.
Future legislation regarding child welfare and parental rights that may arise in response to his comments.

Key figures:

Markwayne Mullin, DHS Secretary — His controversial views on discipline and parenting could impact his governance and policies.

Source credibility: The New Republic is known for its progressive stance and reliable reporting, though it may exhibit some bias in its editorial choices.

Published: March 24, 2026 3:37 PM

Source: The New Republic — https://go.noligarchy.us/bZC5VI