Latest news with #MarkwayneMullin
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans Reveal Their Excuses to be Anywhere But Trump's Birthday Parade
President Donald Trump has been hyping his military parade ahead of tanks rolling through Washington, D.C. on Saturday, but many Republican lawmakers are not sticking around. The parade is billed as a celebration of the Army's 250th anniversary, but it also happens to fall on the president's 79th birthday. The Daily Beast reached out to dozens of GOP lawmakers to see who would be in attendance, and few signaled they would show up despite Trump touting an 'incredible' display. Senators are mostly heading home to their states for the weekend. Few offered up reasons why they would not be sticking in the nation's capital, but for some, it is work-related, while others had personal obligations. Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan was traveling for a funeral. Senator Pete Ricketts was heading back to Nebraska, where the College World Series is starting this weekend in Omaha, while Senator Roger Wicker will be heading to the Paris Air Show. Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is running for governor and told reporters he would be back in his home state campaigning. Senator Markwayne Mullin is a close ally of Trump, but he is celebrating his wedding anniversary this weekend. That meant heading back to Oklahoma to be with his wife and children. Among Senate leadership, neither Senate Majority Leader John Thune nor Whip John Barrasso plans to make an appearance. Leading up to the extravaganza, several GOP senators even questioned whether the parade, which could cost as much as $45 million according to the army, should take place at all. 'The United States of America is the most powerful country in all of human history. We're a lion, and a lion doesn't have to tell you it's a lion,' said Louisiana Senator John Kennedy. 'I would save the money, but if the president wants to have a parade, he's the president, and I'm not.' Senator Rand Paul said he has 'never been a fan of goose-stepping soldiers in big tanks and missiles rolling down the street' and likened the expected imagery to the Soviet Union and North Korea. One senator who will be in attendance is Senator Roger Marshall. His office said he would be welcoming troops in Washington, D.C., from Fort Riley in Kansas. On the House side, excitement was also lacking. Politico surveyed 50 Republican lawmakers and found only seven said they would attend. Among those who would be appearing are MAGA favorite Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. 'The Congresswoman was invited by the President to attend the parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States Army and, as a Nationalist, she is honored to attend,' her office told the Daily Beast in a statement. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not be at the parade because of family business. He told reporters he was moving from his family home and downsizing, so he had to 'go do that unfortunately.' GOP lawmakers heading out of town could be avoiding some nasty weather. The forecast in Washington on Saturday indicates a 65 percent chance of rain, including thunderstorms. But the president indicated Thursday evening that he won't let anything rain on his parade. 'I hope the weather's okay, but actually if it's not, that brings you good luck,' Trump said. 'That's ok too, doesn't matter. It doesn't affect the tanks at all. It doesn't affect the soldiers. They're used to it. They're tough.'
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US senators seek more security following Minnesota assassination
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. senators on Tuesday demanded tighter security in the wake of last weekend's assassination of a Minnesota state legislator and threats against members of Congress, in what one lawmaker called a "spreading virus" of political violence. Law enforcement officials responsible for securing the U.S. Capitol complex and its 535 members of Congress briefed Republican and Democratic senators for over an hour in a closed session, according to senators who attended. They said the review covered steps already undertaken and those being considered to enhance safety. "We need more protection. We need more money" for law enforcement, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters afterward. On Saturday, a gunman shot and killed Minnesota state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home. Earlier, the gunman had shot state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, severely wounding them. Senators were tight-lipped as they emerged from Tuesday's briefing. "I think it's important for members' safety that we don't talk a lot about what is being done to keep us safe -- in order to keep us safe," Democratic Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota told reporters. Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma would only say, "There's a lot of discussion about a lot of things but we didn't discuss specific funding" for added security. Members of the federal judiciary also have requested more security funding, noting increasing threats against judges. For several years, members of Congress have noted escalating threats to them and their staffs. The U.S. Capitol Police in May said it had seen 9,400 threats against members of Congress last year, more than double the rate of a decade earlier. Among attacks on lawmakers or their families in recent years was the 2022 intrusion into then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home. Her husband, Paul, was severely wounded by a man wielding a hammer. A 2011 shooting in Arizona left then-Representative Gabby Giffords severely wounded and six people killed during a constituent meeting she was holding. A 2017 shooting left Republican Representative Steve Scalise badly injured at a baseball practice in northern Virginia. President Donald Trump was also the target of two assassination attempts last year, including one in which he was wounded. In response to the escalating violence, federal spending for the USCP rose to $833 million this year, nearly double the $464 million in 2020. "Political violence is a scourge that is spreading like a virus and it needs to be countered more aggressively," Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told reporters. Blumenthal complained that threats "very often are discounted as a prank or a joke" and need to be investigated "in real time." Several lawmakers said officials have not settled on the amount of additional funding USCP might need. Blumenthal said local and state police should be alerted to senators' schedules "where they may be in jeopardy and also when threats are received."
CNN
09-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Markwayne Mullin and Sen. Ron Johnson - State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash - Podcast on CNN Audio
Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Markwayne Mullin and Sen. Ron Johnson State of the Union 45 mins On CNN's State of Union, Democratic Rep. Nanette Barragán sits down with Dana Bash to react to President Trump's stunning decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to quell immigration protests in her district and elsewhere in Los Angeles County. Then, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders joins Dana to react to the breaking news and lay out Democrats' strategy for opposing Trump's massive spending and tax cut bill. Next, Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin spars with Dana over Trump's handling of the situation in Los Angeles and says it shows the need to pass his agenda. After, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson reacts to Defense Secretary Hegseth's suggestion he could deploy active-duty Marines to Los Angeles. He also lays out his concerns with Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' Finally, CNN Political Commentators Bakari Sellers, Xochitl Hinojosa, Kristen Soltis Anderson, and Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis join Dana to discuss the breaking news out of California.
CNN
08-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
GOP senator defends Trump sending National Guard into Los Angeles
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin tells CNN's Dana Bash, "If the governor or the mayor of a city isn't willing to protect the citizens of his state or the city, then the president will."
CNN
08-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
GOP senator defends Trump sending National Guard into Los Angeles
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin tells CNN's Dana Bash, "If the governor or the mayor of a city isn't willing to protect the citizens of his state or the city, then the president will."
