Markwayne Mullin confirmed as the next secretary of Homeland Security
The Senate confirmed Mullin to lead Homeland Security, where he will oversee immigration enforcement and a department facing a shutdown.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Texas Public Radio, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
The page carries an NPR byline and copyright, and the reporting is attributed to NPR. TPR is a local news outlet; the credited reporting and identifiable authors support a strong credibility assessment.
- Source type — Local public-radio news publisher carrying reporting credited to NPR.
- Author attribution — Two named reporters are credited.
- Transparency — The page identifies NPR as the source through its byline and copyright notice.
- Editorial standards — The article is presented as reported news, with claims and quotations attributed to named speakers.
The report gives the vote tally, describes the shutdown and agency context, and includes views from senators on both sides of the confirmation. It relies heavily on official statements and provides limited direct response to the concerns raised.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report includes Mullin's stated positions, support from two Democratic senators, and criticism from other lawmakers. It gives substantial space to concerns but includes the views of supporters and the context of the nomination.
- Counterarguments presented — The article presents both Democratic support for Mullin and arguments against his confirmation.
- Source diversity — Senators on both sides are quoted or described, alongside Mullin's hearing remarks.
- Omitted context — Mullin's direct response to the concerns about his travel is not included.
- Loaded language — Most evaluative claims are attributed to the people making them.
The article reports the confirmation and competing views in largely matter-of-fact language, without an evident partisan framing.
- Language tone — Mostly descriptive language, with criticism and praise attributed to speakers.
- Source selection — Includes senators who supported and opposed the nomination.
- Framing — Covers both Mullin's stated approach and questions about his positions and travel.
Republished with credit
Republished from NPR, with credit to the original publisher.
94 stories · 89–90 · updated Oct 9, 2026
This is NPR's own score, and this article is credited to NPR. The host score in the Source Check is Texas Public Radio's.
The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary in a 54-45 vote, putting him in charge of an agency central to the administration’s immigration agenda. The article describes his positions on immigration enforcement, the department shutdown and other issues, as well as senators’ support and concerns.
The Senate confirmed Oklahoma Republican Markwayne Mullin on Monday to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary. The department was in the midst of a shutdown that left about 100,000 employees working without pay. At his confirmation hearing, Mullin called for DHS funding and described his approach to leading the agency.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSEDNo good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Mullin in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Mullin’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →President whose administration set DHS priorities and whose demand affected shutdown negotiations
Former president mentioned in questions about the 2020 election
New Mexico senator who supported Mullin's nomination
Pennsylvania senator who supported Mullin's nomination
Outgoing Homeland Security secretary
Michigan senator who opposed Mullin's confirmation
Kentucky senator who questioned Mullin about foreign travel and voted against confirmation
Part of a bigger story
20 OUTLETSThe Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary in a 54-45 vote. He took over the department amid a funding shutdown and disputes over immigration enforcement. Center outlets mostly present the confirmation and swearing-in as a leadership transition, while some examine the funding impasse and Mullin’s prospective approach to DHS. Right-leaning outlets also cover the transition amid shutdown and immigration disputes, but some characterize the funding fight as Democratic obstruction and emphasize his enforcement agenda.
- ARTICLES
- 23
- OUTLETS
- 20
- AVG CRED
- 65
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