Politics in D.C. usually feels like a bad play where everyone knows their lines. Boring. Scripted. Then there’s Senator Markwayne Mullin. If you’ve spent any time on social media over the last year, you’ve probably seen the clip—the one where a U.S. Senator almost gets into a literal fistfight with the President of the Teamsters.
It was wild. Honestly, it looked like a scene from a movie, not a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing. People were screaming. Bernie Sanders was frantically banging a gavel.
But behind the viral video of a former MMA fighter-turned-Senator telling a union boss to "stand your butt up," there is a thick layer of confusion. Since that 2023 explosion, and the subsequent "friendship" that blossomed in 2025, a lot of claims have flown around about what was actually true.
The Fight That Didn't Happen (But Almost Did)
Let’s be real: most people searching for markwayne mullins lies is senate hearing are looking for the receipts on the Sean O’Brien showdown.
The drama started with a tweet. Sean O’Brien, the guy who runs the Teamsters, called Mullin a "greedy CEO," a "clown," and a "fraud." He even tossed in a "you know where to find me" for good measure. Mullin took that as a direct challenge. During the hearing on November 14, 2023, Mullin read the tweets out loud.
"This is the time. This is the place," Mullin said.
O'Brien shot back: "Perfect."
At that point, Mullin stood up. He actually started taking his wedding ring off. It was intense. Bernie Sanders had to yell at him like a school principal: "You are a United States Senator!"
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But where do the "lies" come in?
Critics pointed to Mullin's characterization of his business background. For years, Mullin has sold himself as a self-made man who built a plumbing empire from the ground up. O’Brien called this a lie, claiming Mullin inherited the business and that it was union labor that actually built it. Mullin’s counter-argument is that he took over a struggling family company with just a few employees and grew it into something massive through his own grit.
The Confusion Over "Oklahoma Values"
After the hearing, Mullin went on Fox News and told Sean Hannity that his behavior was just "Oklahoma values."
He basically said that in Oklahoma, you don't talk tough and not back it up. But the internet didn't entirely buy it. Some critics argued Mullin was lying about the "tough guy" culture to justify what they saw as unprofessional bullying. Others pointed out that O'Brien isn't from New Jersey (as Mullin suggested during the heat of the moment); he's from Massachusetts.
The 2025 CDC Hearing Explosion
If you think the Teamsters fight was the only time things got heated, you haven't been paying attention to the 2025 hearings. This is where the accusations of markwayne mullins lies is senate hearing actually took a more technical, and perhaps more serious, turn.
In September 2025, Mullin confronted the former CDC Director, Susan Monarez.
It was brutal. Mullin accused Monarez of being "not truthful" about her firing and her conversations with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He even claimed there was a "tape" or a recording of a meeting that proved she was lying about why she was pushed out.
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"You're not being truthful... there is a recording," Mullin stated during the exchange.
Monarez stood her ground. She insisted she was fired because she refused to pre-approve vaccine recommendations without seeing scientific evidence first.
The "lie" here is a matter of perspective—or perhaps a missing piece of evidence. Mullin later had to admit he might have been "mistaken" about the existence of a literal recording, though he maintained that his sources confirmed the conversation happened the way he described.
The Shipbuilding Pivot
Believe it or not, by late 2025, Mullin and O’Brien—the two guys who almost swapped punches—actually became friends.
They appeared together in a video in early 2025 to support Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor Secretary. Mullin even credited Donald Trump for "bringing them together." They started talking about American shipbuilding.
- They agreed that shipyards in "liberal states" like California are failing.
- They agreed that union labor is the only way to staff these yards with skilled workers.
- They even shook hands on it.
It was a complete 180. Some skeptics called this a "political lie"—arguing that their previous hatred was performative or that this new friendship is a marriage of convenience for the cameras.
The Statistics Tug-of-War
One thing that gets lost in the shouting is the actual data. During the labor hearings, Mullin often clashes with Democrats like Josh Hawley (who, ironically, has become more pro-union lately) and Bernie Sanders over labor statistics.
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Mullin has a tendency to use "prose" versions of data that don't always align with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For example, he frequently cites the high costs of union regulations as the primary reason businesses move offshore. Labor advocates call this a lie, pointing instead to corporate greed and trade loopholes.
In a recent exchange, Mullin discussed Amazon’s global labor rates. He argued that the "average" Amazon employee makes $36,000, but he was comparing third-world labor rates to U.S. rates to make a point about competitiveness.
Why This Matters for 2026
We're in an era where "fake news" and "Senate theater" are the norm. When people talk about markwayne mullins lies is senate hearing, they aren't just talking about a single fact. They’re talking about the shift in how our leaders behave.
Is Mullin a "liar"? Or is he just a guy who uses aggressive rhetoric to fight for his version of the truth?
Honestly, it depends on who you ask. If you're a union member who feels insulted by his "thug" comments, you likely see him as a fraud. If you're a small business owner in Oklahoma, you probably see a hero standing up to "bully" union bosses.
Actionable Insights: How to Fact-Check Senate Drama
If you’re trying to figure out what’s real in the next viral Senate clip, don't just trust the 30-second TikTok.
- Check the Full Transcript: Sites like Congress.gov or the specific Committee pages (like the HELP Committee) post the full, unedited transcripts. That’s where you find the context Mullin often claims is missing.
- Look for Follow-up Admissions: Like the "CDC tape" incident, politicians often walk back claims a few days later when the cameras are off.
- Follow the Policy, Not the Punch: The Shipbuilding partnership between Mullin and O'Brien is actually a huge deal for national security and labor. It's more important than the "stand your butt up" clip, even if it's less fun to watch.
The reality is that Markwayne Mullin has brought a cage-fighter's energy to the Senate floor. Whether that makes him a "truth-teller" or a "liar" is often in the eye of the beholder, but the transcripts show a man who isn't afraid to push the limits of decorum to make a point.
Keep an eye on the upcoming 2026 hearings on Department of Education reform. Given Mullin's track record, it's bound to get explosive again.