Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) defended President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.
In March 2024, Hernandez was convicted on a drug trafficking and weapons charge, conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Hernandez served as president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022.
Appearing Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Dana Bash asked whether Mullin thought if it was a “good idea” for Trump to be “threatening Venezuela and [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro” while simultaneously vowing to pardon Hernandez who “intentionally poisoned Americans with drugs.”
“I wasn’t involved in the conversations that [Trump] had with the president of Honduras at that time,” the Oklahoma senator responded. “I believe there is probably a good faith that is being stretched forth here.”
Mullin pointed to Trump’s Truth Social post on Friday, in which he announced his decision to pardon Hernandez, telling his 11-million-plus followers that “according to many people that I greatly respect,” the ex-president was “treated very harshly and unfairly.”
“There was a direct message [in the post],” Mullin told Bash. “I guarantee you the president’s foreign affairs approach is one that is being very effective around the world.”
He then took a swipe at former President Joe Biden, claiming that Trump’s international relations approach is “a lot better than the Biden administration.”
“That’s why world leaders are coming in every single day, wanting to visit with [Trump],” Mullin said. “That’s why the president is able to stop eight foreign wars, and hopefully nine, if we can hopefully negotiate a deal between Ukraine and Russia.”
Claiming that all “the world leaders respect [Trump],” he continued, “What the president is doing is always calculated.”
Mullin said he hasn’t had “a direct conversation with the president about” it yet, before adding, “But I do trust his natural reaction and his approach to foreign affairs because we can see it has been very, very effective.”
Watch Mullin’s interview on “State of the Union” below.
