Copyright The Daily Beast
Sen. Markwayne Mullin has been branded a liar after commending President Donald Trump’s tireless work ethic. The Oklahoma senator took to X on Saturday to share what an “honor” it was to be “working through the weekend” with the president, but was quickly called out for fibbing, with people turning to Trump’s public schedule for proof. “Working through the weekend with President Donald J. Trump. It’s always an honor to be in the Oval Office—I never take this opportunity to serve Oklahoma for granted," Mullin wrote, alongside four photos of the president at his desk. Disbelief about the suggestion that Trump was working all weekend spread quickly. “But the White House posted him leaving to Mar-a-Lago last night... is this today?” one person questioned. Mullin posted the tweet at 11:52 a.m. on Saturday, nearly four hours after Trump arrived at his West Palm Beach golf club, and where he remained until approximately 3:15 p.m. when he returned to Mar-a-Lago. Mullin, however, was in D.C.—where he will remain all weekend with other GOP senators, at the behest of Trump, while they attempt to negotiate a bill that will end the country’s longest government shutdown. Mullin didn’t directly address Trump’s involvement in the working weekend, but clarified: “Mtg was last night, mentioned in my video. Senate is in D.C. today working though shutdown.” “Since when is working a few hours past five on a Friday ‘working through the weekend?’ That Oklahoma education…" another poster replied—one of many to point out that the state ranks last for public schooling. “Nope. Public schedule shows he left for Mar-a-Lago at 6:15 p.m. yesterday. You did not work through the evening. Liar, liar,” said a third. One critic slammed: “Working through the weekend with Trump implies he’s also working. Spending millions of taxpayer dollars on golf is the opposite of work. Especially during a government shutdown. Be better. All of you.” While Trump has insisted the Senate remain at work, his own public schedule for Saturday was completely empty. The president landed in Palm Beach just before 8:30 p.m. on Friday, then made his way to Mar-a-Lago, where he hosted a lavish party complete with an opera performance, ice sculptures and a sliced beef filet and truffle dauphinoise dinner. The fête occurred just one week after the president hosted a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago—while 42 million Americans are facing food insecurity over the president’s refusal to reinstate full SNAP benefits. Despite opting to leave his Republican colleagues to work on a shutdown solution without him, Trump has been firm that they will remain in D.C. until an agreement is reached. “The United States Senate should not leave town until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday, just hours before leaving for Florida. “If they can’t reach a Deal, the Republicans should terminate the Filibuster, IMMEDIATELY, and take care of our Great American Workers!,” he added. Mullin did not appear fazed by Trump’s absence from the important meetings, and obligingly shared an update two hours after his original post.
