Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma has drawn attention for a series of controversial and confusing comments while defending President Donald Trump’s military actions in Iran during several cable television appearances this week.
The remarks came as the conflict continues to generate political debate in Washington, with lawmakers and voters weighing the economic and human costs of the escalating situation.
During an appearance on Fox News on Monday, Mullin attempted to describe the realities of warfare while supporting the administration’s actions. His comments quickly circulated online because of their unusual phrasing and references.
“War is ugly. It smells bad,” Mullin said. “If anybody has ever been there and been able to smell the war that’s happen [sic] around you, and taste it and fill it in your nostrils and hear it, it’s something that you’ll never forget. And it’s ugly. And fortunately, you have President Hegseth, or I say ‘President Hegseth’ Defence Secretary Hegseth that has got a great relationship with President Trump, and President Hegseth’s been there. He’s done that.”
Critics quickly pointed out that Mullin himself has not served in a war zone, raising questions about the context of his description. The senator previously owned a plumbing business before entering politics and later sold the company, which helped build his personal fortune.
Mullin continued his media appearances while defending the administration’s strategy. During an interview on Fox Business with host Stuart Varney, he made another remark that attracted attention when discussing whether the conflict could lead to political change in Iran.
“It’s up to the Iraqi people—or I’m sorry, the Iranian people to choose their next leader,” Mullin said. The slip referencing Iraq instead of Iran quickly sparked comparisons to past U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. The topic surfaced again during a separate CNN interview with host Kasie Hunt.
During that discussion, Hunt noted the mistake and suggested it reflected lingering public concerns about previous conflicts. “Doesn’t that slip that you made underscore exactly why the American people are telling us in our poll that they don’t want this? I mean, the memory of Iraq is still very fresh in a lot of Americans’ minds,” Hunt said.
The interview also turned to whether the current conflict should be described as a war. Hunt pointed out that Trump had previously campaigned on avoiding a war with Iran. “This isn’t a war,” Mullin said.
When Hunt responded that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier described the situation as a war, Mullin attempted to clarify his comments. “What he declared on us was war, meaning ‘us’ as ayatollah. He declared war on us. We are not at war with the Iranian people.”
Mullin later appeared on Newsmax, where he referenced comments made by Trump about Iran’s leadership. “We’ve taken out their leadership and 40 other individuals. As the president joked about a while ago, he’s creating jobs in Iran, which I thought was hilarious,” Mullin said.
The senator’s remarks have continued to draw criticism and debate online as the political conversation around the conflict intensifies.
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