Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, sparked a tense exchange during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing when he called Secretary Markwayne Mullin “racist” and repeatedly told him to “shut up.” The confrontation occurred amid discussions on the Fiscal 2027 budget for the Department of Homeland Security.
Video footage captured Mullin’s surprise as Green aggressively interrupted, insisting on his time to speak. When Mullin asked if Green had just told him to shut up, Green continued to do so. The chairman of the committee, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, a Republican from New York, attempted to manage the disruption as Green denied the racist accusation and pressed Garbarino to quiet the secretary instead.
The committee chairman eventually suspended the proceedings following Green’s escalation. Mullin calmly responded to attempts to label him a racist, emphasizing that he would not accept such accusations. This incident adds to Green’s record of confrontational behavior, which includes his previous ejections from a joint session of Congress during former President Donald Trump’s addresses. Green recently lost the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District to Rep. Christian Menefee.