From Jokes to Threats: Markwayne Mullin and the GOP’s War on the Press
The line between authoritarian rhetoric and real danger is blurring fast—and journalists are in the crosshairs.
“I bet they would write a lot less false stories… if we could still handle our differences that way.” — Senator Markwayne Mullin, April 5, 2025
That wasn’t a line from a mob movie. It was a sitting U.S. Senator suggesting—on video—that violence might be a fitting consequence for journalists who publish stories he doesn’t like. The historical example he cited? A journalist shooting a politician. Yet Mullin, in a twist of authoritarian fantasy, recast the moment as a warning to the press, not about them. (What number is Oklahoma on the education scale again?)
Mullin later claimed it was a joke. But when you pair that “joke” with his November 2023 offer to fight a union leader in a Senate hearing, it stops being funny and starts being obvious: the GOP isn’t just waging war on journalism with policy anymore; they’re doing it with fists, threats, and testosterone-fueled theater.
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From Brawls to Broadcasts: Mullin as the Cultural Weapon
We’ve covered how Trump’s second term has targeted journalism at the institutional level, from revoking press credentials for outlets like AP and Reuters to dismantling independent voices at Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. The administration uses executive orders and media access as scalpels and sledgehammers.
Mullin, by contrast, is the brass knuckles. He doesn’t rewrite rules; he redefines norms. He doesn’t issue gag orders. He intimidates critics into self-censorship. He’s not trying just to reform journalism—he’s trying to make it dangerous.
When government policy says, “you don’t belong here,” and a senator says, “you might get hurt if you keep reporting,” the result isn’t just censorship. It’s cultural conditioning. And it’s chilling.
Read here how the administration has amplified other press outlets over trusted newservices here:
See our reporting on the press credentials incidents in the archives, here:
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Authoritarian Echoes: When the Joke Is the Threat
Globally, this pattern is depressingly familiar.
In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte laughed about journalists being assassinated, and then they were.
Viktor Orbán used state takeovers and loyalty tests in Hungary to purge critical media voices.
In Russia, jokes aren’t even necessary anymore. The disappearances speak for themselves.
Senator Mullin’s remarks don’t happen in a vacuum. They are part of a growing comfort within Trump-aligned circles with attacking the press and suggesting it deserves to be attacked.
This builds on what we explored in Silencing Dissent, where Trump’s executive order uses “free speech” rhetoric to dismantle oversight, neuter fact-checking, and protect misinformation.
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Mullin brings that ideology to the barroom. It’s the authoritarian playbook in cowboy boots.
2026, 2028, and the Weaponized Narrative Machine
We’re heading into modern history's most consequential midterms and general election. If Trump controls the levers of power, and his allies like Mullin control the narrative through intimidation, who will hold any of them accountable?
Already we’ve seen:
Authoritarian fights over social media platforms,
Journalists barred from press events while propaganda outlets get front-row seats,
A chilling effect on whistleblowers and federal employees afraid to contradict misinformation.
And now, lawmakers are toying with the idea that the press should fear them physically.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now.
Previously, we covered the Administration’s lawsuits against media outlets. See that reporting here:
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Conclusion: From "Fake News" to Fear Tactics
When Trump called the press the “enemy of the people,” it was rhetorical napalm. When he locked out Reuters and AP while welcoming Kremlin state media, it was a signal of intent.
Now, with senators like Markwayne Mullin openly joking about journalists being shot for publishing "false stories," the mask is off. The culture war has evolved. What was once policy and propaganda is now personal and potentially physical.
This is the natural progression of a movement that has:
Dismantled institutional protections for independent reporting,
Shuttered public media outlets that challenged power,
Sued mainstream media into silence and forced settlements,
And now seeks to instill fear directly into the newsroom, not with laws, but with “jokes.”
We’ve Been Here Before: History’s Playbook
We’ve covered how these tactics mirror what strongmen have done in Russia, Hungary, the Philippines, and beyond. But this is no longer an imported strategy. It's homegrown, American, and happening in plain sight.
We don’t need to imagine what comes next. We just need to read the pattern.
What You Can Do:
Support real journalism. Subscribe to independent outlets. Share articles. Fund the fight.
Refuse to normalize violence. Call out “jokes” for what they are: threats.
Demand accountability. Contact your representatives. Ask where they stand when their colleagues threaten the free press.
Democracy isn’t just about voting. It’s about who gets to tell the truth without fear.
And right now, that freedom is hanging by a thread, and a really annoying smirk.
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Bibliography:
Jones, Stacy. GOP Senator Who Threatened Union Boss During 2023 Hearing Says Violence Against Journalists Could Deter 'Fake News'. People, April 6, 2025.
Pilkington, Ed. Republican senator claims video floating killing of journalists was a 'joke'. The Guardian, April 7, 2025.
Pengelly, Martin. Outcry as White House starts dictating which journalists can access Trump. The Guardian, February 26, 2025.
Associated Press Staff. AP again seeks end of its White House ban, saying the Trump administration is retaliating further. AP News, March 4, 2025.
Pulitzer Center Staff. How Hungary's Orbán Uses Control of the Media To Escape Scrutiny and Keep the Public in the Dark. Pulitzer Center, July 27, 2024.
Reuters Staff. Journalists under threat in Amazon rainforest - report. Reuters, June 19, 2024.
Markwayne Mullen is one of the biggest pieces of shit in the Senate. There is a special place in hell for him.
Screw this Mullen clown..just let him try something. Have him arrested and press charges. DC lawmakers, carry defensive weapons, and tell Mark Wayne Mullen to go fuck himself