Markwayne Mullin Defends Military Service Record Amid Stolen-Valor Allegations

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News that he applied to join the U.S. military three times after the attacks and was rejected each time because of prior injuries. He described the rejections as “crazy” and said the experience prompted a major shift in his personal outlook.

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Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly accused Mullin of “stolen valor,” arguing that his past remarks about “smelling” and “tasting” war create a false impression of military service. A 2021 Washington Post report noted that an ambassador’s request for Mullin to rescue five Americans in Afghanistan was denied, and an Axios piece from March cited unverified claims that Mullin hinted at private-security work in Middle-East war zones before his 2012 congressional run.

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Mullin declined to answer Senator Gary Peters’ March hearing question about the “smell of war,” citing classified-information concerns. In the Fox interview, he clarified that the attacks did not motivate his congressional bid and emphasized that, despite the rejections, he remained involved in other capacities. He also recounted being on a construction job at the time of the attacks, noting that the event “drastically changed” his life.

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• “I was doing construction at that time, I was at a customer's house, they came out and got me, we went and looked at it, and my life drastically changed from that point,” — Markwayne Mullin, homeland security secretary

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• “I took a totally different approach to life after that one.” — Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade

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• “No, not at that time, I actually tried to join the military three times after that, and... uh... because of some previous injuries, they never would accept me, which is crazy because I try to keep myself in good shape,” — Markwayne Mullin, homeland security secretary

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