DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin sharply criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after Schumer said that Border Patrol and ICE are agencies that 'nobody respects' in the country. Mullin called Schumer a 'lying scumbag politician' in response. The exchange occurred amid a Senate Republican push to fund the agencies through budget reconciliation.
On national television, as aired by Fox News, Schumer stated: 'Two groups… Border Patrol and ICE… that nobody respects in this country.' Mullin, visibly angry, replied: 'It makes my ears red. It takes a lot to get me upset. But Chuck Schumer, no one respects you. The definition of a lying scumbag politician, that is you.' He also questioned Schumer's security, saying: 'How about he walks around these city streets without a detail? I wonder how safe he would feel.' This came after Schumer suggested ICE could become a 'rogue' force and amid efforts to defund the agencies, according to Mullin. Early Thursday, Senate Republicans advanced a budget reconciliation plan in a 50-48 vote to allocate roughly $70 billion to ICE and Border Patrol, bypassing Democratic opposition. Senator Adam Schiff criticized a 'multi-million-dollar surge in spending and contracts to amass deadly weapons and ammunition' since the second Trump administration began in February. The DHS press office countered: 'A law enforcement agency purchasing law enforcement officers guns and non-lethal resources — really riveting reporting.' Mullin highlighted the need to arm 12,000 new agents for border security, accusing Democrats of allowing criminals to 'run amok' during the prior administration. The budget measure now heads to the House.
