A fight nearly broke out between a Republican senator and a union leader during a Senate hearing last month.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien challenged Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to a fight on the spot after the senator read aloud O’Brien’s tweets, calling him out as a “clown” and a “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
“Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here,” Mullin said. To which O’Brien clapped back, “OK, that’s fine. Perfect.”
“You want to do it now?” Mullin, who is a former mixed martial arts fighter, asked. “Stand your butt up then.”
“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien retorted, prompting Mullin to stand up from his chair as if he were actually preparing to fight the union boss in the middle of the hearing room.
That’s when Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders stepped in and banged his gavel to restore order in the room.
“Hold it. No, no, no, sit down. Sit down! You’re a United State senator, sit down,” Sanders yelled. “This is a hearing. God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress, let’s not.”
The GOP lawmaker then tried to challenge the Teamsters official to a real cage match with the proceeds going to charity, but Sanders grabbed the mic to interrupt him.
“Excuse me, hold it. Sen. Mullin, I have the mic. If you have questions on any economic issues, anything that was said, go for it. We’re not here to talk about physical abuse,” the Vermont Independent said.
Sanders requested the hearing, and its goal was to show how unions are making life better for working families. During the hearing, however, Mullin claimed that he was trying to paint O’Brien as a “thug” after the Teamsters leader tweeted at him following a heated hearing in March before the Health, Education, and Labor Committee. O’Brien had called Mullin, a former plumbing company owner, a “greedy CEO,” and Mullin had told the union official to “shut his mouth.”
“He called me out. … He said anytime, anyplace. You don’t call me out and say ‘anytime, anyplace,’ and then not back it up what you said,” Mullin said. “I answered his call. Period.”
