Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) son reportedly went on a drunken tirade to Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) about “gays and Jews,” blaming the marginalized groups for various events and mistaking Lawler for being Jewish.
Lawler recounted the Tuesday evening situation to the Washington Examiner and said the senator’s son gave him the “middle finger and then tripped” while he was “clearly inebriated” at a bar in Washington, D.C.
Lawler said the situation speaks to a bigger issue of how the Jewish population is treated.
“This is the level of hatred and vitriol, frankly, that some of my Jewish colleagues experience, but many of my constituents [also] experience,” he said. “I’m one of the largest Jewish populations anywhere in the country, in my congressional district, and I’m not going to stop standing up for my constituents, standing up for the Judeo-Christian values that are at the core of our nation, our Constitution.”
Paul’s son, William Paul, made an X post on Wednesday, apologizing for the incident and saying that he will be “seeking help.”
“Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am,” William Paul said. “I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem.”
Lauren Green contributed to this report.