The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions heated up on Tuesday morning when Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, (R-OK), challenged Sean O’Brien, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to a fight.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin @SenMullin just stood up and tried to fight labor leader Sean O’Brien @TeamsterSOB at a Senate Help Committee hearing after reading his tweet where O’Brien says he’d take him “any time, any place.” pic.twitter.com/8oiPSNZJV8
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 14, 2023
Senator Mullin challenged O’Brien to fight after Mullin read O’Brien’s tweet (from June), in which O’Brien called the Senator from Oklahoma “a clown and fraud.”
Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self made. In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy. #LittleManSyndrome pic.twitter.com/JNvT7IsA6m
— Sean M. O’Brien (@TeamsterSOB) June 21, 2023
Mullin immediately challenged O’Brien after he read O’Brien’s X-post.
“This is a time, this is a place. We can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.” “OK that’s fine, perfect,” O’Brien replied. “You wanna do it now?” Mullin said. “Would love to do it right now,” O’Brien replied. “Well stand your butt up then,” Mullin said. “You stand your butt up,” O’Brien replied.
Both Mullin and O’Brien attempted to fight in the Senate HELP Committee hearing. Committee chairman Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), tried to physically stop Mullin from going to the floor and squatting down to meet O’Brien. He then pounded his gavel to try to gain control of the hearing. Sanders shouted for both of them to sit down.
Sean O’Brien and Senator Mullin have been in a public spat for the past few months. Both Mullin, and O’Brien, traded jabs with each other, and this morning it came to a head. In the video, Mullin is seen taking off his ring while standing up. O’Brien did not back down. The hearing briefly descended into chaos when Mullin and O’Brien appeared to be about to fight in a moment that would have been unprecedented for the United States Senate.
Mullin is a former mixed-martial arts fighter who has a 3-0 record. He knows how to fight. O’Brien, who does not have the background of Mullin but is still a large figure, would have made a fight between them interesting in a morbid curious way.
The cooler heads won out and everyone took to their seats. There was a relative calm between Mullin and O’Brien. The hearing continued without incident. Many people will speculate about what lies ahead for these two. Will they fight again at a charity event or meet outside the Senate? You never know in today’s world.