Rand Paul

The son of US Senator Rand Paul accosted Congressman Mike Lawler on Tuesday with antisemitic and homophobic invective, calling Jews “un-American” and more loyal to Israel than the US, according to Lawler and a reporter who was present.

William Paul apologized for the incident, writing on X Wednesday: “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am. I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem.” His father has not commented on the incident.

Lawler, whose district covers a heavily Jewish suburban New York area, is an outspoken supporter of Israel and opponent of antisemitism, but is not Jewish himself. Both he and Rand Paul, of Kentucky, are Republicans.

In an exchange at a Washington, DC, bar that was witnessed by Reese Gorman, a reporter for the NOTUS website, Rand Paul’s son William approached Lawler and – after introducing himself as the senator’s son – said Lawler’s “people” would be to blame if the younger Paul’s favored candidate, Rep. Thomas Massie, were to lose in a Kentucky congressional primary.

When Lawler responded, “My people?” Paul responded, “Yeah, you Jews,” according to Gorman. Lawler, who is not Jewish, clarified that he is Irish, Italian and Catholic, according to Gorman’s account.

“And he goes, ‘Oh! Oh, I’m sorry to accuse you of that,’” Lawler recalled, speaking to reporters.

“But he then went on a roughly 10-minute diatribe about Israel, about Jews, about [GOP megadonor] Paul Singer and accusing Jews of being responsible for so many things, playing right into the typical antisemitic tropes that so many people rely on,” Lawler recalled.

“At one point, he said that he hates Jews and hates gays and doesn’t care if they die,” Lawler said. “And I think that’s f—ing disgusting. So, you know, the conversation shortly thereafter ended, he gave me the middle finger and then tripped on his way out the door.”

When Lawler told Paul he was being antisemitic, the senator’s son reportedly responded that the congressman “needs to watch more Tucker Carlson.”

Incident comes amid antisemitic pro-Massie ad blitz

The incident came days after a TV spot from a pro-Massie PAC began running this week, in which Singer is depicted with a Pride flag-patterned Star of David next to his head. The ad called Singer a “major pro-gay, pro-trans activist who works with far-left, hardcore Democrats.”

Singer, who is Jewish and vocally pro-Israel, is a Republican and a major donor to Republican candidates and conservative causes. His son is gay, and he is a longtime supporter of gay rights.

William Paul’s father Rand is Kentucky’s junior senator. A Republican who has run for president, Rand Paul announced his endorsement of Massie in October.

Massie, the Kentucky incumbent, is one of the most anti-Israel Republicans in Congress, having criticized US support for Israel and voted against a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He has also drawn allegations of antisemitism for comments unrelated to Israel, such as when he compared COVID-19 measures to the Holocaust in a 2021 Twitter post.

The Kentucky Jewish Council, which advocates against antisemitism in the state, issued a statement denouncing Tuesday’s incident.

“We are deeply disturbed both by the antisemitic conspiracy theories posited by Mr. Paul and with his comfort in harassing someone he thought was Jewish in a public place,” the group said. “We regret that Congressman Lawler had to experience the kind of abuse far too many American Jews suffer on a regular basis.”

The altercation between Paul and Lawler was not the first time in recent months that a public figure who is not Jewish was the target of an antisemitic attack. In March, following the attempted car ramming on a synagogue and Jewish preschool in Michigan, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, who is not Jewish, said he had been the target of antisemitic memes and insults.