US: Republican Senator challenges labour leader to fistfight during congressional hearing
Nov 14, 2023
Washington, DC [US], November 15 : A Senate committee hearing on Tuesday (local time) seemed poised for a physical altercation as a Republican senator, Markwayne Mullin, and Teamsters President Sean O'Brien engaged in a heated exchange, Fox News reported.
The confrontation unfolded during a Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee hearing, with committee chairman Senator Bernie Sanders attempting to mediate.
Mullin threatened O'Brien after referencing a tweet where O'Brien challenged him, saying, "Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults and we can finish it here."
O'Brien responded, "OK, that's fine, perfect," and Mullin asked, "You want to do it now?"
"I would love to do it right now," O'Brien added.
Mullin, who is also a former MMA fighter, then stood up from his chair and began making his way over to where the Teamsters president was seated, as reported by Fox News.
As tensions escalated, Sanders intervened, urging them to sit down. "Stop it, hold it, no, no, sit down," he said, adding, "You're a United States senator. Sit down."
Despite Sanders' efforts to quell the confrontation, Mullin and O'Brien continued exchanging words. O'Brien accused Mullin of acting like a "12-year-old" for challenging him to a cage match, leading Sanders to assert, "We're not here to talk about physical abuse."
Mullin later called O'Brien a "thug," prompting O'Brien to label him "disrespectful." Sanders banged his gavel, emphasising the hearing's focus on economic issues, not fights.
The ongoing bickering persisted, with both individuals expressing a lack of respect for each other. Sanders eventually moved the hearing forward to other panel members' questions.
The confrontation stems from a contentious history between O'Brien and Mullin, dating back to March, when they clashed over O'Brien's salary compared to union members during another committee hearing. Sanders had to intervene at that time as well, Fox News reported.
