WASHINGTON — Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., suggested on X this weekend that journalists would write "less false stories" if violence were still used to handle disputes.
In the video, posted early Saturday, Mullin is in the Capitol and recounts how a reporter shot and killed Rep. William Taulbee there in 1890, a year after Taulbee left office.
"There's a lot we can say about reporters of the stories they write, but I bet they would write a lot less false stories — as President Trump says, 'fake news' — if we could still handle our differences that way," Mullin says.
After The Oklahoman published a story about his comments, Mullin criticized the publication on X and indicated he had been joking.
"While you’re at it, don’t forget I also JOKED about bringing back caning to settle political disputes," Mullin wrote. "Thanks for watching my videos."
"Imagine being a newspaper *this* out of touch with Oklahoma," he continued, adding a picture illustrating the deep-red state's Republican voting record.
Reached for comment, Mullin spokesperson Katherine Currie sent a link to the senator's post responding to The Oklahoman
Mullin, a former MMA fighter, has made headlines for nearly getting into a physical fight in 2023 with the president of the Teamsters union, Sean O'Brien, during a Senate hearing. As the men got into a verbal altercation, Mullin told O'Brien to "stand your butt up" and stood up as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., shouted at him to "stop it."
Mullin, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has served in Congress since 2013. He started in the House before he was elected to the Senate in 2022.
The reporter who shot Taulbee in 1890, Charles Kincaid, was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense, according to a congressional website.
