logo
Login Subscribe
Google Play App Store
  • News
    • Obituaries
    • Lifestyle
    • Opinions
  • Sports
  • E-edition
  • Calendar
  • Archives
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisers
    • Form Submission
    • About Us
    • News
      • Obituaries
      • Lifestyle
      • Opinions
    • Sports
    • E-edition
    • Calendar
    • Archives
    • Contact
      • Contact Us
      • Advertisers
      • Form Submission
      • About Us
Mullin draws backlash over reporter violence ‘joke’
A: Main, news
April 16, 2025
Mullin draws backlash over reporter violence ‘joke’
By KATRINA CRUMBACHER GAYLORD NEWS,

Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin received pushback Wednesday after “joking” that violence could solve “fake news” in a video posted on X late last week.

Freedom of Information Oklahoma’s Executive Director Kurt Gwartney called the whole matter “disheartening.”

“When political leaders joke about violence against those they disagree with or dislike, they demean their elected roles in American public life and the people they represent,” Gwartney said in a statement.

Founded in 1990, FOI Oklahoma is a statewide organization dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations trying to obtain access to open records or open meetings that have been “illegally closed,” according to its website.

The video, which made national headlines this week, opened with Mullin telling a story about a reporter who shot and killed a congressman-turned-lobbyist in 1890.

However, as the story came to an end, it took a dark turn.

“Now, there’s a lot we could say about reporters and the stories they write,” Mullin said, “but I bet they would write a lot less false stories — as President Trump says, ‘fake news’ — if we could still handle our differences that way.”

Across the United States in 2024, journalists were assaulted 80 times, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. Of the 1,100 incidents of assault that have been reported since the organization started keeping track in 2017, three happened in Oklahoma.

“Each assault can be viewed as an attack on First Amendment freedoms,” Gwartney wrote. “Using violence against journalists is an established chapter in the anti-democratic playbook used by politicians across the globe and here at home.”

FOI Oklahoma was not the first to air grievances about Mullins’s comments.

On Sunday, The Oklahoman published a news article about Mullin’s remarks, and a couple of hours later, Mullin responded on X, calling the newspaper “out of touch with Oklahoma.” The Oklahoman followed with an editorial on Monday, saying Mullin is “out of touch with the dignity of his office and the volatile environment our country currently finds itself in.”

“In a time when Mullin could have gone before the cameras to help alleviate all the fears that consume Oklahomans in these uncertain times — worry about their Social Security benefits, whether their Medicaid insurance will be cut, among others — he chose to talk about the potential benefits of harming journalists,” The Oklahoman editorial board wrote.

The editorial contrasted Mullin’s remarks with the Oklahoma Standard and the upcoming 30-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19.

“Markwayne Mullin’s response to an argument is violence,” The Oklahoman wrote. “But thousands of Oklahomans, including survivors, families, friends and others affected by the bombing responded to an unspeakable horror 30 years ago with dignity, grace and kindness.”

On Tuesday in another post on X, Mullin again responded to “the few reporters pretending to be upset about this video.”

“If you watched… it was a *reporter* who shot a congressman in 1890. You don’t see me crying,” Mullin wrote. “Take a joke and quit trying to find a reason to be offended. Focus on your low readership and declining relevance.”

According to Gwarteny, violence isn’t something public officials should joke about.

“Expressions of violence in our political system are something you don’t joke about or expect from a member of the U.S. Senate unless you’re willfully ignorant of civics and history,” Gwartney wrote.

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.

Braving the festival, honoring a friend
A: Main, news
Braving the festival, honoring a friend
By LENORE BECHTEL 
September 3, 2025
Every Labor Day weekend since moving to Oklahoma, I thought about going to the Dusk to Dawn Blues Festival. But the idea of a yard party running from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. was intimidating—and I could neve...
A: Main, news
Man injured diving into shallow water
September 3, 2025
A 22-year-old Yukon man was injured when he dove from a pontoon boat into shallow water at Lake Eufaula, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Patrick Tanner reportedly stopped his vessel to swim ...
A: Main, news
Man found dead in yard; possible suspect investigated
September 3, 2025
WARNER – Warner Police responded to a call early Saturday morning about a dead man laying outside of a residence in the area of Fifth and Third streets. The deceased has been identified as 51-year-old...
A: Main, news
Wellness Day for seniors Sept. 16
September 3, 2025
Heritage Home Care’s fifth annual Senior Wellness Day will be held Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 126 N. 1st St. (now Bridges Street), which is the former location of Family Dollar. The e...
A: Main, news
Looking ahead: Firm to help guide the way
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 3, 2025
What will Eufaula look like in 50 years? Without a plan, it’s anybody’s guess. But the City Council has taken steps to remove at least some of the guesswork. At a special meeting Friday, Aug. 29, the ...
Wine and Art Festival extravaganza Saturday
A: Main, news
Wine and Art Festival extravaganza Saturday
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 3, 2025
What: Vision Eufaula Wine & Art Festival When: Saturday Sept. 6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Where: 150 N. Front St. Information: 405-248-2992 or visit visioneufaula.org The fourth annual Wine and Art Festival ...
ePaper
google_play
app_store
Editor Picks
5 in race for state school superintendent
news
5 in race for state school superintendent
By Jennifer Palmer Oklahoma Watch 
September 3, 2025
So far, five candidates are running to lead Oklahoma’s public education system as state superintendent in 2026. Former Tulsa school board members Jennettie Marshall, a Democrat, and Jerry Griffin, an ...
DOC Director stepping down
news
DOC Director stepping down
By KEATON ROSS OKLAHOMA WATCH 
September 3, 2025
Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Steven Harpe, one of the highest paid officials in state government, will step down on Sept. 30 to take a private sector job. “I’m extremely proud of my tim...
news
Class of ’65 reunion set for Sept. 12
September 3, 2025
Graduates of the Eufaula High School Class of 1965 will get together from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept 12, at the Legacy on Main Street, 224 N. Main St. Graduates of the classes of ’64 and ’66 are...
A site out of this world
news
A site out of this world
By MIKE BARNES 
September 3, 2025
In Eufaula, a town where gossip can outpace the mail, a story is slowly gaining momentum. It isn’t about the latest fishing tournament or Friday night football, but about a cosmic visitor called 3I/ A...
Rest, reflections, and farewells
commentary
Rest, reflections, and farewells
By JOE DORMAN OICA CEO 
September 3, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY – I hope your Labor Day weekend was full of relaxation. I schedule a vacation each year with friends to get away over this holiday which allows me to “charge up the batteries” for upcomi...
Facebook

THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL
100 N. 2nd Street
Eufaula, OK 74432

(918) 689-2191

This site complies with ADA requirements

© 2023 THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Policy