In a heated exchange during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing, Representative Al Green, Democrat from Texas, openly accused Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin of being racist. The confrontation occurred as the committee discussed the department’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2027.
Green’s remarks caught Mullin off guard, sparking a tense back-and-forth. Green persistently told the secretary to “shut up,” prompting Mullin to question whether he had truly been told to quiet down. The sound of the gavel momentarily interrupted the exchange, but Green asserted his right to speak, declaring it was his allotted time.
The chairman of the committee, Representative Andrew Garbarino, Republican from New York, intervened to diffuse the situation after Green continued his verbal outburst. Mullin refused to accept the racist label directed at him and asked Garbarino to manage the decorum in the hearing. Green denied having used the racial accusation earlier but insisted the chairman tell Mullin to “shut up.” This incident follows Green’s previous controversial behavior, including being removed from President Trump’s joint session address twice. Recently, Green lost his Democratic primary runoff to fellow Texan Representative Christian Menefee.