Markwayne Mullin-Jason Smith relationship explained amid buzz over DHS secretary, Congressman living together

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin reportedly shares a house in Washington DC with Congressman Jason Smith, sparking speculations about their relationship. Mullin is married to wife Christie and Smith is unmarried which has led to many comments on their ‘unusual arrangement’ online.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin shares a house with Congressman Jason Smith in Washington DC. (X/@SecMullinDHS, X/@RepJasonSmith)One person reacted with googly eyes at the news. Another said “Umm. Its more than just an ‘unusual arrangement’. He lives with Congressman Jason Smith.” Yet another added “Jason Smith is the Paul Lynde of Congress.” Lynde was a gay comedian who had to remain closeted for much for his career due to strict censorship at the time.

Smith's sexuality has been questioned as well, most prominently in 2023, after Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, accused Smith of ‘living a lie’.

“If Jason Smith is breathing, he is living a lie. There might not be another member of Congress who lives a lie everyday more than Jason Smith and Jason Smith knows exactly what I am talking about. And by the way, so does almost every member of the House Republican caucus,” Gaetz had said. This remarked sparked speculations about Smith being a closeted gay man but Newsweek reported that Gaetz clarified to them his remark did not indicate anything of the sort.

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“I was explicitly stating and referencing the dishonest life Jason Smith lives as a special interest shill. Obviously. I have no comment on the direct question you asked regarding Rep. Smith's sexual orientation. I honestly don't care. I only care when he loves lobbyists too much,” he had said.

Notably, Smith leads a private life and there is no publicly available information on his present or past relationships.

Smith is a 7th generation Missourian and a 4th generation owner of his family’s farm, a citizen-legislator, and a champion for the rights and values of rural Missourians. He served from 2005 to 2013 in the Missouri General Assembly — and rose to become Speaker Pro Tem. Smith was elected to Congress in 2013.

Notably, Mullin was also a Congressman before being appointed DHS Secretary. Here's all you need to know about their relationship.

Mullin and Smith live together in DC, The Daily Mail reported. It noted that they are ‘close friends’ and their living arrangements are akin to a ‘college dorm’.

The DHS Secretary and Congressman have been living together for three years in a house on Capitol Hill that Mullin owns. A representative for Mullin told The Daily Mail that he's the ‘landlord’ and bought the house in 2023. However, they did not say how much rent Smith pays Mullin.

The DHS Secretary is married to Christie Mullin, a lifelong Oklahoman. They have been married for 27 years now and have six kids together – three biological and three adopted. They were reportedly high school sweethearts.

Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More