Who is Trump’s Homeland Security pick Markwayne Mullin, and what’s his LGBTQ+ stance?
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) speaks to reporters outside of the Senate Chambers at the U.S. Capitol on March 13, 2025 (Getty)
US President Donald Trump has fired controversial Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem, and announced Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin will be her replacement. But who is he, and what is his stance on LGBTQ+ rights and other issues?
The first-term senator, who, according to the BBC, is a former mixed martial arts fighter, has been a staunch supporter of Trump and his policies, so as you can probably imagine, he’s not exactly a progressive figure.
He’s firmly anti-immigration and supports the recent heavy-handed actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which led to the shooting and death of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
On 24 January, Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by a federal officer. His death followed that of Renee Good, also 37, who was fatally shot on 7 January. Their deaths in Minneapolis were met with global outcry.
“Obstructing federal law enforcement is a felony. Most Americans follow ICE instructions without thinking twice,” Mullin posted on social media following the death of Alex Pretti, who was shot dead by ICE agents.
He added that “these patriots are doing a difficult job” and facing death threats.
In recent months, many have alleged they have been wrongfully arrested, detained and deported by ICE despite being citizens, having correct visas or valid asylum claims. This includes the case of gay makeup artist Andry José Hernández Romero, who entered the US legally in 2024 to seek asylum after fleeing anti-LGBTQ+ violence in his home country of Venezuela, but was deported by ICE to a supermax CECOT prison in El Salvador, known for its poor conditions and human rights abuses, because the agency incorrectly believed he had links to gangs.
What is Markwayne Mullin’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues?
Mullin, like Kristi Noem before him, is firmly anti-LGBTQ+ and has spoken out about so-called “gender identity politics” in the past.
In 2024, he led colleagues in urging the Biden-Harris administration to remove sexual orientation and gender identity protection elements from the Older Americans Act, writing: “The Older Americans Act was designed to fulfill essential services for our seniors, not serve as a vehicle for Kamala Harris’ gender identity politics. This expansion diminishes the prioritization placed on serving rural seniors like those in my state of Oklahoma.“
He added: “The administration has once again expanded bureaucratic overreach without the consent of Congress or any real plan of how states might carry out this regulation. I want to thank my colleagues for recognizing the harm this haphazard expansion will cause and joining me in this effort to reverse it.”
Also, back in 2020, Tulsi Gabbard introduced a bill to the House, which was co-sponsored by Markwayne Mullin, called the “Protect Women’s Sport Act”.
The bill aimed to clarify Title IX rights (outlawing sex-based discrimination in federally-funded education) as “based on biological sex”, and prevent schools from receiving federal funding if they allow trans girls and women, as well as non-binary people, to compete on women’s sports teams.
US president Donald Trump went on to sign an executive order banning trans women from participating in women’s and girls sports in February 2025.
A quick check of Mullin’s voting history on LGBTQ+ issues shows someone who is firmly in the “anti” camp, and in 2023 he received a rating of just 6% by civil rights organisation the Human Rights Campaign.
A low rating by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) typically signifies that a politician has a voting record or public position that is considered anti-LGBTQ+ or opposed to LGBTQ+ equality.
In short, Mullin is a typical Trump loyalist: anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigration and not someone who is likely to offer any kind of radical overhaul of the incredibly heavy-handed ICE tactics that have led to so many deaths, displacement and distress in recent months.
Speaking to reporters after he was announced as Trump’s pick for Homeland Security secretary, Mullin said: “Yes, I’m a Republican, yes I’m conservative. Once I make that transition, my focus is to keep the homeland secure, that’s going to be my focus, and we’re super excited about this opportunity.”
