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GOP Rep Acknowledges ‘I’m Not Rambo’ After Botched Afghanistan Mission

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said the trip, which went against the orders of political leaders and U.S. officials, was his way of helping.

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a former pro wrestler and plumbing business owner, thinks his two ill-advised attempts to land in Kabul amid the chaos of the last two weeks were acts of service. “Everybody has a different way of helping,” he said in a Fox News interview. Mullin described his side of his second attempt, disputing reports that he threatened the U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan when he wouldn’t help Mullin enter Afghanistan with wads of cash. “The ambassador was not helpful at all,” he said. “He says ‘I can’t assist you. I can’t help you. I was told not to.’” Mullin said he believed the State Department interfered in his quest to retrieve an interpreter from Afghanistan. That’s despite both Democratic and Republican House leaders admonishing lawmakers who try to lead unsafe expeditions, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) saying it creates “a greater risk.”

Still, Mullin did allow for a bit of self-awareness. “I’m not Rambo. I never pretended to be Rambo,” he said.