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Mullin Confirmed as DHS Chief Amid FAA Ground Stop

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Politics Desk

In Short: Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as the new DHS secretary, addressing concerns over FAA's nationwide ground stop.

Markwayne Mullin has officially been confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

WATCH LIVE: Secretary Mullin and Secretary Duffy hold briefing on the FAA Ground Stop. The Washington Examiner

The Senate confirmed Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin (R) as the new Secretary of Homeland Security, effective at the end of the month when outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem leaves office. Mullin's confirmation comes amid a nationwide ground stop ordered by the FAA due to 'extraordinary circumstances.'

During a briefing on the FAA ground stop, Mullin emphasized that there was no indication of a threat to the United States. 'There is no indication that we’ve had, no reason to believe, that as of right now this was a threat to the United States,' Mullin told reporters at the White House.

Mullin also addressed the SMART system, a tool used by the FAA, which was expanded to all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers three days before the ground stop. When asked about the timing, Mullin said, 'You can't rule out anything at this point,' but clarified that the current ground stop was not based on or a result of the SMART system.

Mullin's confirmation has significant implications for election security, given his previous statements about sending ICE agents to polling places and his refusal to certify President Joe Biden's victory. 'We know that President Joe Biden was sworn into office,' Mullin said, reiterating his stance on the 2020 election.

The FAA's decision to ground all flights nationwide on Friday afternoon came after a warning about communications problems at regional air traffic control centers. 'All departing flights nationwide were grounded Friday afternoon after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning about communications problems at regional air traffic control centers,' Mullin stated.

Mullin's comments during his confirmation hearing last week indicated his willingness to send ICE agents to polling places for a 'specific threat,' despite federal law that bars the stationing of law enforcement officers or members of the military at polling places. 'If you’re not a citizen, you shouldn’t be voting anyway, so technically there shouldn’t be illegals at the polling spot,' Mullin said.

The White House has not definitively ruled out the possibility of using ICE agents at polling places, though Mullin's stance has raised concerns about the potential for voter intimidation.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• During a briefing on the FAA ground stop, Mullin emphasized that there was no indication of a threat to the United States. 'There is no indication that we’ve had, no reason to believe, that as of right now this was a threat to the United States,' Mullin told reporters at the White House.
• Mullin also addressed the SMART system, a tool used by the FAA, which was expanded to all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers three days before the ground stop. When asked about the timing, Mullin said, 'You can't rule out anything at this point,' but clarified that the current ground stop was not based on or a result of the SMART system.
• Mullin's confirmation has significant implications for election security, given his previous statements about sending ICE agents to polling places and his refusal to certify President Joe Biden's victory. 'We know that President Joe Biden was sworn into office,' Mullin said, reiterating his stance on the 2020 election.
• The FAA's decision to ground all flights nationwide on Friday afternoon came after a warning about communications problems at regional air traffic control centers. 'All departing flights nationwide were grounded Friday afternoon after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning about communications problems at regional air traffic control centers,' Mullin stated.
• Mullin's comments during his confirmation hearing last week indicated his willingness to send ICE agents to polling places for a 'specific threat,' despite federal law that bars the stationing of law enforcement officers or members of the military at polling places. 'If you’re not a citizen, you shouldn’t be voting anyway, so technically there shouldn’t be illegals at the polling spot,' Mullin said.
• The White House has not definitively ruled out the possibility of using ICE agents at polling places, though Mullin's stance has raised concerns about the potential for voter intimidation.

What's still developing

• Mullin’s ascension to the helm of DHS will have significant implications for the future of free and fair elections in the U.S., given the department’s role in election security and the risk that immigration officers — who fall under DHS’s authority — could be used to interfere in elections.
• "We're looking at that," Mullin told the reporter, referring directly to the SMART system.
• "hallucinate safety-critical information."
• DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin signed the order on July 24 under a 2018 supply chain security law; it bars DeepSeek from federal contracts but stops short of an Entity List listing.
• Department of Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin has announced that the administration is probing 1,620 cases of voter fraud involving noncitizens illegally casting ballots.
• After landing safely, Mullin commended the flight crew, stating that the single-engine approach and touchdown proceeded smoothly (Photo: REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado) A U.S. Coast Guard aircraft carrying Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin made an emergency landing in Washington after an engine failed and caught fire in flight, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 2.
• “It’s tough to sometimes fight — and I’m not trying to get political here, but I will — sanctuary cities that they don’t want us to go into,” Mullin told a crowd at Resilience Plaza at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C. “They can say it’s for humanitarian purposes, but the truth is, when you become a sanctuary city and you’re not supporting law enforcement, when you're not allowing law enforcement to do their job, it’s a safe haven that incubates terrorist activity,” Mullin added.
• Joseph Morelle of New York authored a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Nick Anderson, to demand they restore over $39.6 million in funds to a range of specific election security efforts as legislated in the fiscal year 2026 DHS Appropriations bill passed in April.
• Mullin revealed Thursday there is evidence that Omar, D-Minn., "married her brother" as part of an alleged immigration scheme and there is an "ongoing" investigation.

Sources

• Democracy Docketlink
• Latin Timeslink
• Mediaitelink
• News Radio 1200 WOAIlink
• The Equation - Union of Concerned Scientistslink
• The Western Journallink
• Washingtonexaminerlink
• Nypostlink
• Startupfortunelink
• Breitbartlink
• Geekwirelink
• Lamaglink
• Englishlink
• Independentlink
• NPRlink
• Los Angeles Timeslink
• The Washington Examiner — video link
• ABC News 4 — video link
• The National Desk — video link
• Associated Press — video link
• FOX 5 Atlanta — video link
• WBNS 10TV — video link