William Paul, the son of Republican senator Rand Paul, has apologised after a drunken outburst in a Washington DC bar in which he reportedly told a Republican congressman that he "hates Jews and hates gays". In a social media post under the handle TastyBrew1776, Paul said he had "had too much to drink" and that the things he said "don't represent who I really am", adding that he was seeking help for his drinking problem.
The apology came minutes after Congressman Mike Lawler told reporters that Paul had accosted him on Tuesday night at the Tune Inn Restaurant & Bar on Pennsylvania Avenue. Lawler said Paul went on a "10-minute diatribe about Jews", saying that he hates Jews and gays and "doesn't care if they die". Paul also reportedly blamed Israel for the US war on Iran and claimed the US was "trying to steal Iran's land for the Jews and steal the West Bank".
Details of the incident were first reported by Reese Gorman of the digital publication Notus, who witnessed the exchange. Lawler told the New York Post that after he pointed out he was not Jewish, Paul allegedly said: "Oh wow, I'm so sorry for calling you a Jew," before launching into the tirade. Paul then urged Lawler "to watch more Tucker Carlson", reportedly flipped off the congressman, and tripped over his bar stool as he left.
The incident has drawn attention to a bitter Republican primary in Kentucky, where Congressman Thomas Massie, an ally of Rand Paul, faces a challenge from Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL endorsed by Donald Trump and backed by the billionaire donor Paul Singer. Singer, who is Jewish and supports gay rights, has been the target of an ad supporting Massie that accuses Gallrein of being "bought and paid for by the LGBTQ mafia" and features Singer in front of a rainbow-coloured Star of David.
William Paul, who recently served as a congressional aide to two Republican colleagues of Lawler, has been charged multiple times in the past for drunken assault or driving. Rand Paul's Senate office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
