All posts tagged: markwayne mullin

Trump bought Axon stock before ICE sought 0 million Taser deal

Trump bought Axon stock before ICE sought $220 million Taser deal

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump bought as much as $5 million in shares of Axon Enterprise — maker of Tasers, body cameras and policing software — two weeks before Immigration and Customs Enforcement sought a five-year, $220 million contract that experts told CNBC appeared tailored to the company’s weapons. On Feb. 10, Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of Axon stock, according to federal disclosures he filed in May. On Feb. 24, ICE posted a notice seeking roughly 17,800 new Tasers, along with unlimited cartridges and training. The White House has said Trump’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children and that Trump’s investments are managed by independent third-party firms, not Trump or his family. “There are no conflicts of interest,” spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNBC, calling the scrutiny a “tired narrative” pushed by Democrats. Trump’s disclosures with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, made public May 14, show more than 3,700 transactions, with the total amount for each listed as a range rather than an exact figure. Under federal law, …

Airlines urge Trump not to curb international flights ‘sanctuary cities’

Published by Sam Flores

United Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026. Kena Betancur | AFP | Getty Images Airline, hotel and other industry groups are urging the White House and top Trump administration officials to abandon a proposal that would cut off immigration processing at major airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, a United Airlines hub. United CEO Scott Kirby was set to discuss the proposal with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to convey the disruptions the policies could cause to travelers, according to two people familiar with the previously unreported call who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about a private conversation. Airlines for America, a trade association whose members include American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines told White House officials this week that reducing Customs and Border Protection service at Newark, New Jersey’s airport would “create havoc” for U.S. citizens, which make up the bulk of the 20,000 passengers flying in internationally to the airport, according to a document that was seen …

Trump weighs pulling immigration, customs in ‘sanctuary city’ airports

Published by Sam Flores

Passengers at the international arrival gate of JFK Airport in New York on June 16, 2025. Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images Groups representing the largest U.S. airlines and hotel chains slammed the Trump administration’s potential halt of customs and immigration processing at “sanctuary city” airports, warning such a move could have “devastating” consequences on the industry. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Tuesday night that if “radical left Democrats” aren’t allowing the government to “enforce federal laws … we shouldn’t be processing international flights into their cities either.” The secretary’s comments came just ahead of the FIFA World Cup next month that is expected to bring millions of visitors to host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, drawing alarm from the travel industry. Mullin said the Trump administration is “drawing up plans” but isn’t putting anything into place yet. The timing of the idea being floated raises questions about whether the administration is using its leverage to try to persuade cities whose immigration policies …

Trump signs order to pay TSA employees after Congress disagreement

Published by Sam Flores

A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent looks on passengers queue to go through security at New York’s LaGuardia airport on March 22, 2026. Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Friday signed a promised executive action to pay Transportation Security Administration employees after a bid to end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security abruptly fell apart in Congress. Trump signed the action with an eye toward easing long security lines at many of the nation’s top airports. “America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point,” Trump said in the memo authorizing the payments. He added, “I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security.” Trump said his administration would use “funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations” for the payments. In a statement Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said TSA workers “should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday.” While Trump’s action could help ease the plight of air travelers, it does little to resolve the DHS shutdown that has jammed …

Trump slurring, a Bondi gaffe and ‘mutilization’ of English dominate swearing-in of Kristi Noem replacement

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump replaced the first victim of his reputation-burning inner circle, Kristi Noem, on Tuesday as he gathered reporters at the White House to witness the swearing-in of Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary. Instead of a spectacle, however, the event was more of what reporters have come to expect from Trump White House events — namely, an Everything, Everywhere All At Once approach to governance where no topic is off limits and in fact may be more likely for the president to speak about than the actual topic of the day. That was certainly the case as a slurring Trump (who seemed to be talking with a slight lisp or trouble with enunciation, something that happens a lot lately) used the ceremony to address the Iran war, voter ID, mail-in ballots and host of other topics with a crowd of reporters who acted like Mullin, the guest of honor, was a distraction at best. The president, too, seemed only marginally interested in Mullin’s appointment and admitted to reporters that he didn’t know about …

Senate, White House nearing deal to end DHS shutdown

Published by Sam Flores

San Diego, CA – March 23: Travelers stand in a long Transportation Security Administration line that wrapped throughout Terminal 1 at San Diego International Airport in California, March 23, 2026. K.C. Alfred | The San Diego Union | Getty Images Senate Republicans and the White House appear near to a deal to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown as the shutdown’s second month leads to worsening airport delays. Talks are still underway, but “this deal seems to be acceptable,” a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity said Tuesday. President Donald Trump has said he wants to not only fund DHS but include other changes such as prohibitions on transgender care and a voter-ID measure. Democrats, however, say they’re not satisfied with the Republicans’ proposal. At a swearing-in ceremony for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday, Trump said he would “take a good hard look” at the compromise funding proposal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said at a press conference Tuesday that “Democrats have …

Alan Armstrong to fill Oklahoma U.S. Senate seat through year end

Published by Sam Flores

Alan Armstrong, then chief executive officer of Williams Cos., speaking at the 2024 CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas, US, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. F. Carter Smith | Bloomberg | Getty Images Oklahoma’s governor on Tuesday appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to serve in the U.S. Senate through the end of the year and finish the term of Republican Markwayne Mullin, the new homeland security secretary. The choice by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who had pledged to pick a “conservative voice” to fill Mullin’s seat, elevates the chairman and former CEO of Williams Companies, a major pipeline operator based in Tulsa, to the Senate. “He’s a strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government,” Stitt said. Mullin, who was confirmed on Monday to take over the embattled Department of Homeland Security, would have been up for reelection in November. The last nine months of his term will now be filled by Armstrong, who, under Oklahoma law, must agree not to run for a full term this fall. …