Bill O’Reilly Rips DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Over Silence on ICE Detention of US Citizen

Bill O’Reilly took aim at President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Wednesday, slamming his department for failing to explain why ICE agents detained a U.S. citizen who ended up in the hospital following a confrontation in California.

The conservative commentator used his “No Spin News” podcast to demand answers in the case of Ricardo Gonzalez, a 40-year-old man who was detained last week by federal immigration agents in Long Beach.

“Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security doesn’t say anything. And this is what’s wrong with Markwayne Mullins,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly drew a sharp contrast between Mullin and border czar Tom Homan.

“See, I think [Border czar Tom] Homan, who is the face of ICE, is a good man, and an effective man. Mullins, no,” he said.

Gonzalez, a U.S. citizen and former Long Beach city employee, was caught on video handcuffed and pinned face-down during the encounter, which took place Friday. According to his family, agents knocked him off his e-bike with an unmarked vehicle and used a Taser on him before taking him into custody.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said Gonzalez suffered a broken arm and other injuries before he was taken to the hospital.

So far, the Department of Homeland Security has not publicly explained why its agents confronted or detained Gonzalez.

O’Reilly mistakenly said Gonzalez had suffered a broken leg, but the bulk of his criticism centered on the lack of any explanation from Mullin’s department.
“This should have been out. Is he a U.S. Citizen or not? What did he do to be confronted by ICE agents? You don’t just sit on it, Markwayne. This hurts your organization, the federal government, the Trump administration, and every American’s confidence,” O’Reilly said.

The veteran broadcaster made clear he believed the department’s silence was unacceptable.

“Boy, I mean, come on, this isn’t hard. What do you have?” he added.

Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, has led DHS since March, when he was confirmed as Trump’s second Homeland Security secretary. His department, which is sprawling in scope, oversees ICE as well as the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement operation.

Local police have sought to distance themselves from the incident. The Long Beach Police Department said its officers played no role in the immigration operation and only arrived after the confrontation had taken place. Officers eventually removed Gonzalez’s handcuffs and took him to receive medical treatment.

The criticism from O’Reilly is notable given his standing as a conservative voice. While he offered praise for Homan’s leadership of ICE, he argued that Mullin’s handling of the Gonzalez case was damaging not only to DHS but to the Trump administration and to public confidence across the country.

For now, key questions raised by O’Reilly remain unanswered, including what prompted agents to confront Gonzalez in the first place.