Donald Trump delivers the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Seated behind him are Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA). Kenny Holston /Pool via REUTERS
One of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics, Rep. Al Green (R-TX), triggered Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin in a heated exchange on Wednesday about the Trump administration’s racist policies.
“Racists take offense at peaceful protests,” Green told Mullin, referring to the administration’s policy of targeting immigrants from racial minority backgrounds. “A racist, Mr. Secretary, would do what happened to Ruby—”
Mullin shot back, “Are you calling me a racist?”
As Green attempted to reclaim his time from Mullin, the former Oklahoma senator continued to demand an answer as to whether he was being accused of racism. Green replied by telling him to “shut up” and insisting that it was Green’s time to talk, not Mullin’s.
“I’m not gonna let anybody call me a racist, chairman,” Mullin responded.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), the House Committee on Homeland Security Chair, had interjected previously when he complained that a different Democratic representative had pushed a “flat-out lie” behind him. When Green reiterated that he had not called Mullin a racist and that this was his time to speak, Garbarino told Green to “suspend” and allow Mullin to claim the time traditionally allotted to Green.
“No one will call me a racist,” Mullin said, pointing out that his family is part-Cherokee.
After Garbarino said that he suspended the clock and that Green would not lose time to speak because of Mullin’s interruptions, the Homeland Security Secretary insisted he was justified to cut off Green.
“I will continue to interrupt as long as someone’s … calling me a racist,” Mullin told Green and Garbarino.
“I agree,” Garbarino told Mullin, again seeming to side with him over Green. “As I said before there will be no addressing anyone’s character in a negative way. By the way, Mr. Green, when you’re speaking, I need you to speak into the microphone because I can’t hear you up here.”
Mullin then claimed Green lost his recent primary because of his rhetoric.
“Evidently, his constituents heard enough of him because they voted him out of office,” Mullin retorted.
Pleading for civility, Garbarino responded by saying, “Mr. Secretary, please.”
Despite Mullin implying that Green’s own actions cost him his House primary, in fact he lost to Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) after both lawmakers’ districts were gerrymandered together by Republicans to shore up their chances of winning in 2016. Menefee had an advantage over Green because the cryptocurrency industry invested millions of dollars in his campaign.
"Rep. Green's defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat," Geoff Vetter, a spokesperson for the pro-cryptocurrency super PAC Fairshake, said in a statement about defeating Green. "Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country."