Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) derailed a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions when he read a past tweet from Teamsters President Sean O’Brien and challenged him to a fight in the hearing room.

Mullin and O’Brien have traded barbs for months and over the summer the Republican senator challenged O’Brien to fight for charity.

“An attention-seeking union Teamster boss is trying to be punchy after our Senate hearing. Okay, I accept your challenge. MMA fight for charity of our choice. Sept 30th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ll give you 3 days to accept,” Mullin wrote on Twitter in response to a jab from O’Brien.

Mullin read the original tweet from O’Brien during Tuesday’s hearing and then challenged him to fight in the U.S. Senate hearing room.

“Sir, I wish you was [sic] in the truck with me when I was building my plumbing company myself and my wife was running the office because I should remember working pretty hard and long hours. ‘Pretends like he’s self-made. What a clown, fraud always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Any place, any time, cowboy,” Mullin began, reading the June tweet from O’Brien.

“Sir, this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth. We can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here,” Mullin adds.

“Okay, that’s fine. Perfect,” O’Brien responds.

“You want to do it now?” Mullin shoots back.

“I’d love to do it right now,” adds O’Brien as the taunting escalates.

“Well, stand your butt up, then,” Mullin says.

“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien replies.

Mullin then stands and moves to take off his ring as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the committee chairman, intervenes.

“Hold it. Stop it,” Sanders demands as the room erupts in noise.

“Is that your solution to every problem?” O’Brien demands.

“Stop it. No, no. Sit down. Sit down! You’re a United States senator!” Sanders says, trying to regain control.

“Sit down, please,” Sanders adds.

“Can I respond?” O’Brien asks.

“Hold it. Hold it if we can’t. No, I have the mic. No, I’m sorry. This is over,” Sanders demands again.

“Can I respond?” O’Brien asks again.

“No, you can’t. This is a hearing,” Sanders adds as he went on to lecture them both over their behavior.

Mullin, who was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. Before going into politics he won three mixed martial arts fights in 2006 and 2007.

Watch the full clip above.

The post Bernie Sanders Stops Fist-Fight Between Republican and Union Boss During Hearing: ‘Sit Down! You’re a United States Senator!’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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