Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday called Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a "lying scumbag politician" during an interview with Fox News, escalating a public dispute over funding for the department that has been in partial shutdown for nearly 70 days.
The conflict began after Schumer suggested during a Senate floor speech that "nobody" in the United States "respects" Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol, comments that drew swift backlash from both the DHS secretary and President Trump.
What the Left Is Saying
Democrats have blocked funding for DHS since mid-February, demanding widespread reforms to the department's immigration enforcement operations. The calls intensified after federal immigration officers shot and killed two U.S. citizens in separate incidents during operations in Minneapolis in January.
Senate Democrats have argued that the department requires fundamental changes to its practices before any funding is approved. The party has pointed to the fatal incidents as evidence of systemic problems within federal immigration enforcement.
Schumer's office has not directly responded to Mullin's comments as of Thursday evening. However, the senator has previously argued that reforms are necessary to ensure immigrant communities can cooperate with law enforcement without fear.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans have pushed to restore full funding for DHS, arguing that the department's mission is essential to national security and cannot be effectively carried out without resources. Senate Republicans adopted a budget resolution Thursday that could lead to DHS funding through the remainder of Trump's term.
Mullin accused Schumer of supporting "open borders" and criticized the senator for making comments he called disrespectful to law enforcement officers. "You had time to change those during the Biden administration," Mullin said. "You didn't because you're for open borders and you're for the criminals running amok in our cities."
Trump joined the criticism, calling Schumer's comment "one of the most egregious, incorrect, unpatriotic, and dangerous statements" he had ever heard from a professional politician. The president demanded an immediate apology to law enforcement.
What the Numbers Show
DHS has now been in partial shutdown for 67 days as of Thursday. The department is operating with remaining emergency funds, but Mullin warned Tuesday that payroll will be exhausted after April, leaving the department unable to pay employee salaries starting in early May.
Senate Republicans plan to advance a funding package next month costing between $70 billion and $80 billion. Hundreds of TSA employees have called out or quit during the shutdown, disrupting airport operations.
Most DHS employees have continued working without pay throughout the partial shutdown. The department employed approximately 260,000 people as of early 2026.
The Bottom Line
The public exchange between Mullin and Schumer represents a significant escalation in the partisan fight over DHS funding. The department faces a May payroll deadline that could leave thousands of employees without compensation if Congress does not act.
Senate Republicans' adoption of a budget resolution signals their intent to force a vote on DHS funding in the coming weeks. Democrats have shown no indication they will drop their demands for immigration enforcement reforms, setting up a potential confrontation over the department's future.
What to watch: Whether Schumer issues a response to Mullin's comments, how rank-and-file Senate Democrats react to the criticism, and whether bipartisan negotiations emerge before the department's payroll deadline in early May.