It’s unclear if U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) will vote to confirm Matt Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General, despite voicing strong opinions about the former Florida congressman in the past.
President-elect Donald Trump tapped Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice, despite scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee over sexual misconduct allegations. The DOJ — which he would lead if confirmed — also previously investigated him for allegations of sex trafficking.
Gaetz resigned from Congress after Trump announced he wanted him to be attorney general.
Gaetz made a name for himself in October 2023 when he led a successful charge to oust former speaker Mike McCarthy. Shortly after, Mullin — who previously served with Gaetz in the House — told CNN that Republican House members disdained Gaetz's boasting about sexual conquests.
“He would brag about how he would crush (erectile dysfunction) medicine and chase it with an energy drink so he could go all night,” Mullin told the news network.
In an interview with Meet the Press Sunday, Mullin said the House should "absolutely" release a report from the House on Gaetz's misconduct. Mullin argued Gaetz's background will matter when it comes time for the Senate to approve his cabinet appointment.
But in the same interview — and three others in the previous week — Mullin expressed confidence in Trump's decision making.
"I have no doubt that President Trump believes that Matt Gaetz is the right person to do the right job," he said.
Mullin told CNN last week that Gaetz needs to "sell himself" to the Senate just like any other cabinet appointee.
A Cherokee citizen, Mullin led Trump’s Native American outreach efforts in his bid to become president. He also denied the results of the 2020 election despite overwhelming evidence that Trump lost.
Mullin has told media he considers Trump “a friend.” In 2023, the senator invited Trump to attend a wrestling tournament at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
Trump considered Mullin to lead the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to media reports. While Mullin has advocated for veterans and active duty military, he does not have a service record.
