New DHS Chief Markwayne Mullin Recalled Kids Pleading Against Spankings as He Touted Tough Parenting: ‘No, Daddy! No!’

Newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is facing renewed scrutiny following the resurfacing of 2023 footage in which he describes physically disciplining his children and threatening his daughter’s boyfriend with violence.

The video, originally recorded at an October 2023 event for the conservative Christian organization City Elders, captures Mullin detailing his belief in physical punishment as a tool for “shepherding” children. Mullin, 48, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter and Oklahoma senator, told the audience he was “raised by the fear of a belt” and has “no problem” spanking his six children.

Mullin’s confirmation to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) occurred Monday, March 23, 2026, in a narrow party-line Senate vote. He was sworn in Tuesday, replacing Kristi Noem, whom President Donald Trump dismissed following heated oversight hearings regarding her leadership and immigration enforcement operations.

The resurfaced comments highlight a career defined by a combative public persona. During a 2023 Senate hearing, Mullin famously challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a physical altercation. In April 2025, he drew condemnation for suggesting that violence against journalists could deter “fake news.”

In the City Elders footage, Mullin described an episode involving his teenage daughter, Larra, as a “four-minute ordeal.” He recounted her pleading with him to stop before he threatened her with additional strikes.

“She just couldn’t bring herself to even bend over for me to bust her butt,” Mullin told the laughing crowd. “And I was like, ‘Hun, you got like two seconds, or you’re going to get two instead of one.’”

Mullin further admitted to threatening his daughter’s boyfriend with physical harm. “I told him, ‘If I ever see you kiss her in front of me, I’m dragging your face across the asphalt,’” Mullin said. “And that’s a true story.”

As the head of DHS, Mullin now commands the nation’s largest law enforcement apparatus, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Critics suggest his past rhetoric regarding physical force and “discipline” raises questions about his temperament for a role that requires strict adherence to civil rights and federal oversight.

Mullin has consistently defended his parenting philosophy, maintaining that physical discipline is “righteous” and necessary. “We got to discipline people,” Mullin stated at the event. “That doesn’t mean you got to discipline them with hatred; you can discipline with love.”

The Department of Homeland Security has not yet issued a formal response to the resurfaced video.