WATCH: Sen. Paul asks Mullen, DHS nominee, whether he believes violence can resolve political differences

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., asked Sen. Markwayne Mullen, R-Oklahoma, on Wednesday whether he believes political disputes can be resolved through violence.

Watch the clip in the video player above.

“I don’t always agree with that. I don’t believe in political violence. I’ve made that very clear,” Mullen said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

He watches: Senator Markwayne Mullen testifies at the confirmation hearing for Secretary of Homeland Security

In an opening statement, Paul criticized the Cabinet secretary nominee for public statements he made after Paul was assaulted by a neighbor in 2017. Mullen, President Donald Trump’s new pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, said Paul was involved in his “character assassination.”

Paul also cited the Oklahoma Republican’s comments that there is a historical precedence for violence, such as caning and dueling, to resolve political disputes between lawmakers.

Read more: Mullen, Trump’s security pick, is poised to inherit a challenging Department of Homeland Security

Mullen said there are some rules that still apply to the body, saying fencing between two consenting adults is still on the books.

“It’s been illegal for 170 years,” Paul interrupted. “There is no precedent for a legal duel.”

The senator then brought up Mullen’s comments in a CNN interview that he had “no remorse” after getting into a fight with a witness at a 2023 Senate committee hearing.

“Mr. President, you will have your opinion. And I will have my opinion as Secretary of Homeland Security,” Mullen said. “I will bring peace of mind and security to this country, and I will continue to focus on that.”

Trump appointed Mullen to take over the embattled agency from Kristi Noem, who was fired earlier this month after her leadership came under bipartisan scrutiny during tense congressional hearings.

He watches: Oklahoma senator challenges Teamsters president to a fight during Senate hearing

Mullen was elected to Congress in 2012 and described himself as a businessman and Washington outsider. As Homeland Security Secretary, Mullen, a former business owner, will take charge of one of the government’s largest agencies, leading the nation’s disaster response, counterterrorism efforts, border security and the president’s mass deportation agenda.

Mullen, a former mixed martial arts fighter who once challenged the Teamsters president to a fight during a Senate hearing, vowed to remain “focused on protecting the homeland” if his appointment is confirmed.

The Republican Party is considering focusing on how it handles immigration enforcement as voters grow concerned about aggressive tactics by Department of Homeland Security agents, which have led to the shooting deaths of at least three American citizens since Trump took office.