‘I’m Not Rambo’: GOP Rep. Markwayne Mullin Defends Attempted Afghanistan Rescue Mission

Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R- OK) appeared with Fox News’ Bret Baier Friday night to address his attempted rescue mission in Afghanistan and the criticism he has received as a result.

A stunning Washington Post report this week said Mullin tried to get into Afghanistan to help evacuations and apparently “threatened” the U.S. ambassador in Tajikistan when he called them over it.

“I wasn’t looking to try to get into Afghanistan. That wasn’t what was this thing started out to be,” Mullin told Bret Baier. “People started calling me wanting help.”

Mullin explained what led him to actually go on this attempted rescue mission, and he said, “I wasn’t trying to go over there and be a cowboy or anything like that.”

“When you see a problem, how do you say no if you can be an asset? And they believed I could be an asset,” he continued.

Mullin claimed that they “circled the airport” for an hour and were ultimately not allowed to land.

“You don’t know who shut you down from landing?” Baier asked.

“I don’t know who shut us down. But I think it was 100 percent directed from the State Department,” he said.

The Washington Post report says Mullin’s plan alarmed U.S. officials, with one anonymous State Department official commenting, “To say this is extremely dangerous is a massive understatement.”

At one point Baier directly asked Mullin, “Why should we not think that this was bravado, testosterone, or an effort to get the spotlight? How do you respond to that?”

“I’m not Rambo, I never pretended to be Rambo,” Mullin responded.

You can watch above, via Fox News.