After GOP Rep Bravely Barricaded Door During Incursion, CBS Reporter Ripped Him for Not Wearing a Mask
GOP Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma reportedly attempted to help secure the House chamber door from being breached during the Capitol incursion on Wednesday, but now he’s being dragged by a CBS News reporter for not wearing a mask while doing so.
Mullin’s actions on Wednesday when a joint session of Congress to certify the election results was disrupted have been described by many who were reportedly there. During the incursion, the Republican reportedly stood his ground, as did others.
Sarah Wire, writing for the Los Angeles Times, described what she saw:
“A female representative began praying loudly. A male member was on the phone giving a play-by-play description of events. I heard the glass of the door to the chamber crack and shatter and saw Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) try to reason with those attempting to push their way inside,” she wrote.
“Behind him, a line of Capitol Police stood, weapons drawn. A loud crack, like a shot, split the air. And then it was quiet. Members of Congress and police officers argued about opening the door and making a run for it,” the reporter added.
Politico reporter Olivia Beavers also shared an account of Mullin’s actions online.
“Rep. Markwayne Mullin was 1 of the members who remained claim — he was actually standing near (not sure if he was talking to the protestors or what) the Capitol police as they pointed their guns through the door of ppl trying to break in. He’s a fmr Mixed Martial Arts fighter,” Beaver wrote.
Rep. Markwayne Mullin was 1 of the members who remained claim — he was actually standing near (not sure if he was talking to the protestors or what) the Capitol police as they pointed their guns through the door of ppl trying to break in.
He’s a fmr Mixed Martial Arts fighter
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) January 6, 2021
Mullin later defended the the use of deadly force against Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer and later died.
“They were trying to come through the front door, which is where I was at in the chamber, and in the back they were trying to come through the speaker’s lobby, and that’s problematic when you’re trying to defend two fronts,” Mullin told ABC News. “When they broke the glass in the back, the [police] lieutenant that was there — him and I already had multiple conversations prior to this — and he didn’t have a choice at that time.”
“The mob was going to come through the door, there was a lot of members and staff that were in danger at the time. And when he [drew] his weapon, that’s a decision that’s very hard for anyone to make and, once you draw your weapon like that, you have to defend yourself with deadly force,” he said.
LIVE ON @GMA: Our @GStephanopoulos pushes back as Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., says, “the media is to blame, the right and the left is to blame” for violence at U.S. Capitol.
https://t.co/9N0GqImyeW pic.twitter.com/Pj08BLU0y9— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 7, 2021
Mullin, a staunch conservative, disagreed with ABC activist George Stephanopoulos, who insisted that President Donald Trump incited those who breached the Capitol to riot.
The incursion was deadly for Babbitt and probably harrowing for those who didn’t know what to expect from the anger on the other side of the door. But according to one reporter, Mullin is guilty of not taking into account the dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic through all of it, as he wasn’t wearing a mask when facing the rage of the mob.
CBS political news reporter Grace Segers made an issue of the maskless Republican in a pair of Twitter posts on Friday. After taking a couple days to process what happened in Washington on Wednesday, Segers concluded that Mullin’s maskless actions were inappropriate.
“The other thing that really gets me about Wednesday is that my colleagues and Capitol staff were exposed to the virus that has killed nearly 400k Americans not only because the violent rioters were maskless but because some lawmakers also refused to wear masks in close quarters,” she tweeted.
The other thing that really gets me about Wednesday is that my colleagues and Capitol staff were exposed to the virus that has killed nearly 400k Americans not only because the violent rioters were maskless but because some lawmakers also refused to wear masks in close quarters
— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) January 8, 2021
In another tweet, Segers targeted Mullin specifically for not using the proper PPE when attempting to protect the chamber door.
“Congressman Markwayne Mullin was one of the lawmakers who bravely helped barricade the doors to the House chamber. But according to video obtained by @PunchbowlNews, he was not wearing a mask, and even appeared to decline one when another lawmaker was handing them out,” she added.
Congressman Markwayne Mullin was one of the lawmakers who bravely helped barricade the doors to the House chamber. But according to video obtained by @PunchbowlNews, he was not wearing a mask, and even appeared to decline one when another lawmaker was handing them out.
— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) January 8, 2021
To show her disconnect from ordinary Americans and other rational people, the CBS News reporter decided that Mullin’s actions during the chaotic Capitol incursion had earned him a good mask scorning.
The bonkers Twitter posts are yet another reason why people don’t take the establishment media seriously. If the accounts of his actions are true, then Mullin should be commended for moving toward chaos and not away from it, as his safety very well could have been in doubt at the time.
Those of us who were born and raised in Mullin’s district would expect members of our state delegation to exhibit the courage reportedly shown in such a situation. But really? He wasn’t wearing a mask? That’s what the reporter is focusing on?
It’s absurd, but exactly what you’ve come to expect from the establishment media. Mullin apparently showed bravery in the face of uncertainty and against the media’s sworn enemy — angry people on the right. But because he’s a Republican, you’d assume, Segers had to find something to beef about. His apparent refusal to wear a cover over his face while facing a breach of the House chamber gave her all the ammunition needed for the hit-job tweet.
If Segers wanted to engage in journalism, all she had to do was ask why Mullin was even in the building on Wednesday. Mullin, a successful Oklahoma businessman, was elected in 2012 on a platform strongly in favor of term limits — promising only three terms for himself. We were happy to give him those three terms.
The Oklahoma native is now serving his fifth term representing Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District.
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