Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican, challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a fight during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee hearing on Tuesday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders had to step in a prevent a brawl from breaking out in the Senate.
The situation began to go off the rails when Mullin started reading O'Brien's posts on X from June.
At the time, Mullin had challenged the union boss to a cage fight for charity. Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self made. In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy. #LittleManSyndrome pic.twitter.com/JNvT7IsA6m
— Sean M. O'Brien (@TeamsterSOB) June 21, 2023
O'Brien had posted, "Greedy CEO who pretends like he's self made. In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy." An attention-seeking union Teamster boss is trying to be punchy after our Senate hearing. Okay, I accept your challenge. MMA fight for charity of our choice. Sept 30th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ll give you 3 days to accept. pic.twitter.com/9WpvuTpDlG
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) June 26, 2023
In response, Mullin wrote, "An attention-seeking union Teamster boss is trying to be punchy after our Senate hearing. Okay, I accept your challenge. MMA fight for charity of our choice. Sept 30th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ll give you 3 days to accept."
During Tuesday's hearing, Mullin read the posts and challenged him to a fight right then and there. A fight almost broke out in a Senate hearing.
Markwayne Mullin read a tweet from Teamster boss Sean O'Brien which challenged Mullin to a fight. Mullin said he was ready to settle things right here, right now.
Bernie Sanders shut the scene down. pic.twitter.com/U0X3YmWPwY
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) November 14, 2023
“Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth. We can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here,” Mullin said.
“Okay, that’s fine. Perfect,” O’Brien replied.
“You want to do it now?” Mullin fired back.
“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien asserted.
“Well, stand your butt up, then,” Mullin challenged.
“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien said.
At this point, Mullin stood up and began to remove his ring.
Sen. Sanders interjected, “Hold it. Stop it.”
“Is that your solution to every problem?” O’Brien continued.
Sanders became increasingly urgent about calming the situation, “Stop it. No, no. Sit down. Sit down! You’re a United States senator!”
“Sit down, please,” Sanders said.
“Can I respond?” O’Brien requests.
“Hold it. Hold it if we can’t. No, I have the mic. No, I’m sorry. This is over,” Sanders asserts.
O'Brien again asks to speak.
“No, you can’t. This is a hearing, God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress, let’s not make it worse,” Sanders said.
