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 c…