William Paul, son of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), allegedly hurled antisemitic insults at Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) during a drunken confrontation at a Washington bar on Tuesday night, according to a report by NOTUS.
The incident reportedly occurred as Lawler was speaking with a NOTUS reporter at a Capitol Hill bar and restaurant when Paul interrupted the conversation to complain about the upcoming Republican primary race involving Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
According to the report, Paul said that if Massie loses, it would be because of “your people.” When Lawler asked him to clarify, Paul replied, “Yeah, you Jews.”
After Lawler informed him that he is not Jewish, Paul allegedly responded, “Oh wow, I’m so sorry for calling you a Jew,” before continuing into a broader rant accusing Jews of being “anti-American” and more loyal to Israel than the United States.
Paul also reportedly told Lawler he “needs to watch more Tucker Carlson” and claimed that Massie and his father were among the only lawmakers who genuinely care about the country.
Lawler, a strong supporter of Israel whose suburban New York district includes one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, has led several congressional efforts to combat antisemitism, including a recent bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitic rhetoric by online influencers.
Lawler reportedly pushed back, informing the senator’s son that he was being antisemitic, before Paul referenced Republican megadonor Paul Singer, who is backing an anti-Massie super PAC, claiming Singer “serves Israeli interests, not American interests.”
Massie, an outspoken critic of foreign aid, has repeatedly accused pro-Israel groups and donors of funding efforts to defeat him in next week’s GOP primary. A pro-Massie super PAC recently aired an ad targeting Singer that featured a rainbow-colored Star of David.
According to NOTUS, Lawler eventually tried to end the exchange, telling Paul, “You just seem to hate Jews,” prompting Paul to deny the accusation before admitting he was drunk, flipping off the congressman and stumbling out of the establishment.
