Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien challenged one another to a fight during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.
The situation began after Mullin, who had been questioning O’Brien before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, confronted the union advocate over remarks he had made on social media earlier this year.
In June, O’Brien had called Mullin a “clown” and a “fraud” on X before stating: “You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Mullin, who is a former MMA fighter, accepted the challenge by vowing to fight O’Brien right there on the Senate floor.
“Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth?” Mullin asked. “We can be two consenting adults—we can finish it here.”
O’Brien quickly responded: “OK, that’s fine. Perfect.”
Mullin rose from his seat and once again questioned whether O’Brien was willing to fight and yet again received a resounding yes.
“Well stand your butt up then,” Mullin said as O’Brien also stood.
Yet as Mullin began to remove his wedding ring, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who was in charge of the hearing, demanded that the pair stop.
“You’re a United States senator, sit down. This is a hearing, and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress…” Sanders shouted about the brewing fight.
Sanders went on to repeatedly bang his gavel before interrupting attempts by the two to set up a fight for charity.
“We’re not here to talk about physical abuse,” Sanders added.
Incredibly, the tense moment was not the first between Mullin and O’Brien that had to be broken up by Sanders.
In March, Mullin told O’Brien to shut his mouth during a tense back-and-forth in another Senate hearing.
O’Brien responded at the time by mocking what he saw as Mullin’s “tough guy” act.
Like before, the pair will likely keep their feud going on social media until they meet in person again.
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