DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin slams 'lying scumbag' Chuck Schumer

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Apr 23, 2026

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Newly minted Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday angrily slammed Sen. Chuck Schumer as a “lying scumbag” after the Democratic leader said “no one respects” the federal agencies carrying out President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Admitting Schumer’s remark “makes my ears red,” Mullin blamed the Senate minority leader for extending the DHS shutdown that spawned widespread security delays at airports when Transportation Safety Administration screeners went without paychecks for weeks.

“The definition of a lying scumbag politician, that is you,” Mullin said when asked in an interview what he would say to Schumer. “For you to say that is so disrespectful to the law enforcement that is out there protecting you.”

Schumer did not immediately respond to Mullin’s remarks.

Mullin, a fairly well-liked former senator, had promised to be a much less-polarizing and partisan leader of DHS when he was confirmed by the Senate to replace controversial predecessor Kristi Noem, who was fired by President Trump following a series of perceived missteps.

The new DHS secretary is warning that the department will run out of money again by May 1 if Congress does not pass a new funding package. It’s not clear how seriously political players will take that threat since Trump was able to rustle up money to pay DHS workers a few weeks ago.

Schumer made the controversial remarks on the floor of the Senate as Republicans started an effort to pass a new DHS spending package using the reconciliation process. It skirts the filibuster rule and requires only a simple majority in the Senate, meaning the GOP could push it through without any Democratic support.

He accused Republicans of “adding $40 billion to two groups, ICE and Border Patrol, that no one respects in this country,” referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol.

The GOP reconciliation effort narrowly passed the Senate over the opposition of all Democrats and two Republicans who oppose using the legislative sleight of hand.

It still needs to be approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Hardline lawmakers want to include a raft of other right-wing priorities, which could complicate passage by turning off moderates.

DHS has been officially shut down for more than two months after Republicans and President Trump failed to reach a deal with Democrats on proposed restrictions to immigration enforcement like ordering agents to stop wearing masks, identify themselves, obtain judicial warrants to enter private homes and businesses and cooperate with independent investigations into alleged wrongdoing.

Outrage over Trump’s mass deportation campaign spiked in January when federal agents killed two American citizens protesting the crackdown on the streets of Minneapolis in January.