Sen. Markwayne Mullin Reflects on Support from Trump During Son’s Recovery

During a recent nomination hearing for the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) became visibly emotional while discussing the support his family received from former President Donald Trump after his son Jim suffered a severe brain injury in January 2020.

“I’m going to get through this without crying,” Mullin said, turning to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). He emphasized that his connection to Trump was rooted in personal support rather than politics.

Struggling to hold back tears, Mullin shared that Jim, previously a “world-class athlete,” faced immense challenges following the injury, which left him unable to walk normally or perform basic tasks. The injury occurred as a result of wrestling.

As he recounted the situation, Mullin mentioned that as soon as Trump learned about Jim’s condition, he reached out immediately and stayed in touch throughout the family’s medical journey. Trump even offered to fly Jim for treatment on his private plane.

“Here we have the president of the United States, and he did it simply because he cared about him,” Mullin told Johnson.

Mullin added that Trump would call Jim almost every day for two weeks, checking on his recovery. He noted that Trump showed up at a gym in Bakersfield during the 2020 campaign, despite pressure from his aides to leave. Mullin recalled a moment when Trump’s staff urged him to go, to which Trump replied, “Hey, I guarantee you this plane won’t leave without me for the next 15 minutes.”

“He gave my son nothing but love,” Mullin expressed.

According to Mullin, Trump’s presence helped Jim progress in his recovery, including regaining some of his memory. “That event sparked a memory for him, and he’s been remembering things ever since,” Mullin added. Jim’s newfound determination emerged as, “You know what, we’re going to get through this,” Mullin said.

Recalling their harsh reality, Mullin described the moment they thought they might lose Jim, saying, “For 26 hours, we almost lost him.” He detailed Jim’s struggles after the injury, highlighting that he couldn’t even perform simple tasks like touching his nose or walking without a limp.

Despite being in the midst of a difficult re-election campaign, Trump continued to reach out to Jim and the family regularly without seeking publicity for his actions. “Every week, if not almost every day, the president calls and asks how he can help,” Mullin noted.

As Mullin spoke, he almost broke down during the tense hearing, expressing, “I don’t like being emotional.” Yet, he acknowledged how deeply talking about his children affects him.

Sen. Johnson reminded everyone that the American people should hear such heartfelt moments.