Trump's DHS pick Markwayne Mullin breaks silence on new job
Mullin said he was excited after Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Daily Mail, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The Daily Mail is an established international publisher with named reporters, but its tabloid style and reliance here on an unnamed source limit confidence in the reporting.
- Transparency — The article attributes key selection claims to an unnamed source and other details to NBC and Axios.
- Source type — Established international news publisher, though known for tabloid presentation.
- Author attribution — Two named reporters are credited.
The piece includes direct quotes and attributes some reporting to other outlets, but key claims about Trump's selection are sourced anonymously, and the article offers limited corroboration or broader context.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The story reports Mullin's and Trump's positive remarks as well as an anonymous source's concerns, but provides little independent context or response to the source's account.
- Source diversity — The article uses comments from Mullin, Trump and an unnamed source, with some details attributed to NBC and Axios.
- Counterarguments presented — The anonymous source raises doubts about the selection and the difficulty of the role.
- Omitted context — The piece gives limited context about the selection process or competing assessments of Mullin's qualifications.
The article includes favorable descriptions from Trump and Mullin alongside an anonymous source's critical assessment of the selection, without a clear partisan editorial position.
- Source selection — It includes Trump's praise, Mullin's remarks, and an anonymous source's doubts.
- Language tone — The article uses some dramatic phrasing but does not consistently favor either party.
- Framing — The story focuses on the appointment and its reported risks rather than making a partisan argument.
Republished
Republished from Daily Mail. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.
449 stories · 54–55 · updated Oct 9, 2026
This is Daily Mail's own score, and this article is credited to Daily Mail. The host score in the Source Check is Daily Mail's.
President Donald Trump nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary, and Mullin said he was excited to serve. The department is largely shut down because of a lapse in congressional funding.
Mullin said Trump called to ask him to serve in the Cabinet and that he had not expected the call. He praised Noem’s work and said he was excited to serve; the article says he is set to begin the role on March 31.
An unnamed source told the Daily Mail that Trump chose Mullin partly because he comes from a safe Republican seat and “looks good on television,” and described the job as “super high-risk.” The article says most of the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down because of a congressional funding lapse, and reports that Trump praised Mullin’s record and border-security priorities.
Community verdict
22 VOTES
People in this story
SWIPE →Senator nominated to become Homeland Security secretary
President who nominated Mullin to lead Homeland Security
Trump's version of this story ↗
Senator mentioned as a frequent target of Mullin's mockery
Senate majority leader who called Mullin the “Senate whisperer” for Trump
Outgoing Homeland Security secretary
Senator who described Mullin's hurried departure from lunch
Part of a bigger story
39 OUTLETSOutlets agree that Trump named Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary. The appointment requires Senate confirmation. Left-leaning outlets connect the change to scrutiny of Noem and questions about Mullin’s qualifications. Center outlets mostly present the transition as a staffing change, while noting scrutiny of Noem and questions about immigration policy. Right-leaning outlets stress the administration’s border-enforcement agenda and, in some coverage, support for Mullin or his confirmation prospects.
- ARTICLES
- 44
- OUTLETS
- 39
- AVG CRED
- 64
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