Markwayne Mullin has been confirmed to his appointment as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a 54 to 45 vote late Monday evening.
BREAKING: The Senate just voted 54-45 to confirm Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) as DHS Secretary.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 24, 2026
Applause & cheers break out.
The only Republican no vote was Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
The only two Democrats to vote yes were Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) & Sen. Martin Heinrich…
🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: Markwayne Mullin has just been CONFIRMED as President Trump's DHS Secretary in a 54-45 vote
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 24, 2026
The Democrats who crossed over:
- John Fetterman (PA)
- Martin Heinrich (NM)
RAND PAUL (R-KY) voted against
The chamber ERUPTED in applause! pic.twitter.com/4yuOAVIksD
Sen. Rand Paul joined with the Democrats in voting against Mullin’s confirmation. Two Democrats, Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Martin Heinrich, crossed over to support Mullin, with Sen. Ruben Gallego not voting. All other votes remained along party lines.
Mullin had previously served as junior senator of Oklahoma since 2023 before getting the nod to take over the department. His appointment came after President Donald Trump removed Kristi Noem from the position, reportedly after Trump was displeased that she said he gave his blessing to air an ad campaign that cost $220 million.
Mullin will take over as DHS remains in a lengthy shutdown due to Democrat displeasure over the Trump administration’s deportation policy and unwillingness to allow illegal immigrants to enter polling places with impunity.