Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican congressman, has been accused of sticking his fingers in the noses of sleeping congressional spouses during a trip to Israel in 2015. Kappy Trott, the wife of former Rep. David Trott, shared this incident with Politico, stating that Mullin used the opportunity for photo ops. The trip included nearly 40 members of Congress and their spouses, organized by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
After a tiring travel schedule, the group arrived in Israel and immediately boarded buses heading to a kibbutz to witness a demonstration of the country’s Iron Dome defense system. Many exhausted spouses used this bus ride as an opportunity to catch up on sleep. However, Mullin allegedly took advantage of their slumber.
According to Trott, Mullin walked up and down the bus, inserting his finger into the noses of several sleeping passengers while taking pictures. She described the incident as inappropriate and compared it to behavior seen in middle school. Although some individuals reacted with a mixture of anger and laughter, Trott personally found it unacceptable.
Representatives from Mullin’s office have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding this incident. This news surfaces just days after Mullin’s attempt to engage in a physical altercation with the president of the Teamsters labor union during a Senate hearing, which was thwarted by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Mullin has since gone on a press tour discussing the incident, even stating that he is not above biting his opponents during a fight.
Mullin has also used the resulting publicity to fundraise.
