Rand Paul’s Son Apologizes After Berating GOP Congressman in Drunken Anti-Semitic Rant

Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images

William Paul, the son of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), has issued an apology after he drunkenly berated a Republican congressman in a bar using anti-Semitic language — and right in front of a reporter.

According to the report by NOTUS politics reporter Reese Gorman, he was chatting with Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) at a Capitol Hill bar when the senator’s son “confronted” the congressman.

The incident then unfolded, “[i]n full view of this NOTUS reporter,” Gorman wrote, with Paul apparently incensed about a primary challenge to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of Sen. Paul’s ideological allies:

William Paul was seated a couple of seats down from Lawler at the restaurant bar, and interrupted a conversation between NOTUS and Lawler to say that if Massie loses, it’s going to be because of “your people.”

“My people?” Lawler asked Paul.

“Yeah, you Jews,” Paul responded.

“Do you think I’m Jewish?” Lawler asked. “I’m not.”

“Oh wow, I’m so sorry for calling you a Jew,” Paul said.

The primary election in Kentucky is on May 19. Massie has sparred with President Donald Trump on several issues, including the Epstein files, U.S. military actions, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the president has endorsed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. The primary battle has been bitter and has become the most expensive U.S. House primary in history, according to Axios.

Gorman described Paul as being unfazed by hearing that Lawler was not Jewish, calling Jews “anti-American” and ranting about how the congressman and his “Jewish supporters” supported Israel over America.

“Lawler repeatedly pushed back and engaged with Paul, defending his support of Israel, and told Paul he was being antisemitic,” wrote Gorman, recounting how Paul eventually made his exit:

When Lawler said, “Please leave us alone,” Paul turned around and flipped off Lawler.

“Did you just give me the middle finger?” Lawler asked.

“I’m sorry, yeah, I did. I’m just really drunk. I’m going to leave,” Paul said.

He then paid his tab and started to walk away. On his way out, he knocked his barstool down and tripped over it.

New York Post reporter Josh Christenson interviewed Lawler and reported additional details that alleged Paul also made homophobic comments:

“So Rand Paul’s f—ing son is sitting next to us at the at the bar … And he just like chimes in on our conversation, f—ing drunk and belligerent, and then starts going off about, you know, if [Rep. Thomas] Massie [R-Ky.] loses [his primary], it’s because of my people,” Lawler recalled.

“I’m like, ‘What people?’ He goes, ‘Jews,’ and I’m like, ‘Do you think I’m Jewish? … I’m Irish-Italian Catholic, buddy,’” the Hudson Valley lawmaker went on.

“He’s like, ‘Wait, you’re not Jewish?’” Lawler recalled the younger Paul asking, to which the lawmaker said he replied: “And even if I was, what’s the problem?”

“And then he got into the Middle East, and he was talking about, like, us trying to steal Iran’s land for the Jews and steal the West Bank, and I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’”

At that point, William Paul said: “This war, it’s all about the gays and the Jews, and I hate them both, and I don’t care if they die.”

According to the Post, Paul is 33 years old. In 2015, while a student at the University of Kentucky, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence after wrecking his truck into a parked vehicle; the police report described him as “belligerent,” having “a strong odor of alcohol,” and said he failed the field sobriety test. Two years prior, he was arrested and charged with assaulting a female flight attendant, disorderly conduct, and underage consumption of beer or wine. Those charges were later dropped.

A few hours after Gorman’s report was published, Paul posted an apology on his X account, which has the username “@TastyBrew1776.”

“Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am,” wrote Paul. “I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem.”

Paul tagged Lawler, Gorman, and Christenson in the tweet. The two reporters updated their articles to include Paul’s apology.

The senator has not responded to the reporters’ requests for comment. His official Senate account has tweeted several video links and news stories about a Senate committee hearing from earlier in the day. His “@RandPaul” personal account has only posted once so far on Wednesday, a tweet promoting his wife Kelley Paul’s new children’s books.

—

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!