Sen. Mullin suggests ‘fake news’ would decline if violence could ‘still’ settle disputes
Journalists would write fewer “fake news” stories if disputes over coverage could be handled through violence, U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin suggested on social media.
In a video posted over the weekend to his official X account, the Oklahoma Republican describes the 1890 killing of a former congressman, who was shot by a reporter in the U.S. Capitol. Mullin briefly pauses after finishing the story, then begins talking about journalists today.
“Now, there’s a lot we could say about reporters and the stories they write, but I bet they would write a lot less false stories — as President Trump says, ‘fake news’ — if we could still handle our differences that way,” Mullin says.
The 1:53 video was one of several Mullin posted late Friday and early Saturday as the Senate mulled the GOP budget plan, which ultimately passed.
Mullin recorded the video from the flight of stairs where he says the shooting occurred. He says stains from the former lawmaker’s blood can still be seen on the stone steps.
After Mullin makes his statement about reporters, the person recording him zooms in to show the blood-stained stairs, and then the video ends. By noon Sunday, the video had been viewed more than 26,000 times, attracting more than 2,100 “likes.”
A spokesperson for Mullin’s office hasn’t yet responded to questions about the senator’s remarks.
Mullin was elected to represent Oklahomans in the Senate in 2022 after serving in the U.S. House for a decade. He has became known as an ally of President Donald Trump.
Mullin’s latest remarks come as verbal attacks against journalists grow more common. Trump “insulted, threatened or attacked” members of the media more than 100 times during campaign speeches from Sept. 1 to Oct. 24, according to an analysis by Reporters Without Borders. The International Center for Journalists found that 27% of Americans surveyed last year said they had “often seen or heard a journalist being threatened, harassed or abused online.” The survey results showed that people who identified as white, male and Republican voiced higher tolerance for senior politicians criticizing journalists.
Mullin has drawn attention in the past for invoking violence during his time as a senator. In 2023, he challenged Teamsters leader Sean O’Brien to a fight and stood from his chair during a Senate hearing. He later defended his actions during an interview on Fox News.
In recent days, Mullin has made the rounds on national TV news shows to express support for tariffs announced by Trump, which economists have warned could trigger a recession. Mullin said on Fox News Sunday morning that the tariffs would balance the U.S. economy “with countries that have taken advantage of us.”
“We know the trade deficits have spread,” Mullin said. “They’ve only gotten worse year after year after year, and at some point, someone had to do something about it. And President Trump is finally doing that.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Mullin suggests ‘fake news’ would decline if violence settled disputes
