Senator Rand Paul’s adult son unleashed a shocking antisemitic and anti-gay tirade against a sitting Republican congressman at a Capitol Hill bar, exposing ugly bigotry festering within GOP circles and raising serious questions about accountability when hatred comes from within.
Drunken Assault on Fellow Republican
William Paul approached Rep. Mike Lawler at the Tune Inn bar Tuesday evening, introducing himself as Senator Rand Paul’s son before launching into a shocking verbal assault. The visibly intoxicated younger Paul mistakenly assumed Lawler was Jewish and blamed “your people” for fellow Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie’s electoral challenges. When Lawler asked for clarification, Paul explicitly identified Jews as the problem, then embarked on a roughly ten-minute tirade invoking antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jewish political influence. A NOTUS reporter dining with Lawler witnessed the entire encounter, providing contemporaneous documentation of the incident that quickly spread across national media outlets.
New: Sen. Rand Paul’s son drunkenly accosted and hurled anti-Semitic insults at Rep. Mike Lawler at a Capitol Hill bar on Tuesday night.
His son told Lawler that if Rep Thomas Massie loses, it’s going to be because of “your people.”
“My people?” Lawler asked Paul.
“Yeah, you…
— Reese Gorman (@reesejgorman) May 13, 2026
Explicit Hatred and Homophobia on Display
The rant extended beyond antisemitism into outright declarations of hatred against multiple groups. According to Lawler’s detailed account provided to multiple news organizations, William Paul stated he “hates Jews” and “hates gay people” and expressed complete indifference to whether they live or die. Paul referenced GOP megadonor Paul Singer and invoked classic antisemitic tropes about Jewish responsibility for political outcomes and national problems. The incident concluded with Paul giving Lawler the middle finger, shoving a finger in his face, and tripping as he stumbled out of the bar while slurring an apology for being “really drunk.” This combination of antisemitic conspiracy theories and anti-gay bigotry reflects dangerous extremist ideology that has no place in American political discourse.
Connection to Broader GOP Tensions
William Paul’s targeting of Jewish influence appears connected to existing conspiratorial narratives circulating in certain Republican circles. According to reports cited by Jewish Insider, Rep. Thomas Massie himself has privately blamed “the Jews” and “the Zionists” for political attacks after he opposed Speaker Mike Johnson and former President Trump. The younger Paul’s rant echoed these dangerous theories, suggesting he absorbed or repeated grievances from libertarian-populist factions within the GOP that scapegoat Jewish Americans for intra-party conflicts. This incident exposes ideological fault lines between mainstream pro-Israel Republicans like Lawler and libertarian-leaning figures who sometimes traffic in conspiratorial thinking about Jewish political power, a pattern that undermines party unity and American values of religious tolerance.
Lawler Stands Firm Against Bigotry
Rep. Mike Lawler represents a New York district with one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, making the attack particularly personal and politically significant. Lawler responded to William Paul’s assumptions with direct questions: “My people, who’s that?” and “Even if I was Jewish, what’s the problem?” His willingness to document and publicize the incident demonstrates courage in confronting hatred within his own party. Lawler told reporters he would be “mortified” if his own child behaved this way, implicitly criticizing Sen. Rand Paul’s silence on the matter. By comparing the tirade to hatred his Jewish colleagues and constituents regularly face, Lawler connected this individual incident to broader concerns about rising antisemitism in American political life.
Inadequate Response From Senator Paul
Sen. Rand Paul’s refusal to address his son’s hateful statements raises serious questions about leadership and moral responsibility. When reporters asked about the incident, the Kentucky senator simply stated, “I don’t have anything for you on that,” offering no condemnation of antisemitism or homophobia and declining to say whether he would even reach out to Rep. Lawler. This silence stands in stark contrast to what Americans should expect from elected officials when confronted with explicit bigotry, even from family members. William Paul’s brief social media apology attributed his behavior to a “drinking problem” and claimed he is “seeking help,” framing the incident as substance abuse rather than addressing the hateful ideology expressed. While alcohol may lower inhibitions, it does not create beliefs that are not already present.
Sources:
TMZ: Sen. Rand Paul’s Son Apologizes for Drunken D.C. Tirade
Jewish Insider: Sen. Rand Paul’s son goes on antisemitic tirade against Rep. Mike Lawler
Washington Examiner: Rand Paul’s son rants about ‘gays and Jews’ to Mike Lawler at DC bar
CBS News: Sen. Rand Paul’s son drunkenly confronted Rep. Mike Lawler, lawmaker says