In a recent incident at a Capitol Hill bar, William Paul, son of Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky, allegedly directed antisemitic remarks towards Representative Mike Lawler of New York. The confrontation took place on a Tuesday evening and has since caught significant public attention.
Reese Gorman, a journalist with NOTUS, reported witnessing the altercation firsthand. According to Gorman, the exchange became heated when Paul erroneously accused Lawler of being Jewish, despite Lawler’s Catholic background with Irish and Italian roots.
During the confrontation, Lawler, taken aback by the accusation, questioned Paul’s assumption, asking “My people?” to which Paul controversially replied, “Yeah, you Jews.”
Lawler, clearly surprised by the assertion, clarified the misunderstanding by stating, “Do you think I’m Jewish? I’m not.”
“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 replied.
According to Gorman, Paul further pressed the topic by saying Jews are “anti-American” and that Lawler and his “Jewish supporters” serve only Israel.
“Lawler repeatedly pushed back and engaged with Paul, defending his support of Israel, and told Paul he was being antisemitic,” noted Gorman. “‘Paul Singer serves Israeli interests, not American interests,’ Paul said, referring to the GOP megadonor who is helping bankroll an anti-Massie super PAC. Singer is Jewish.”
The arguing took a more aggressive turn when Lawler said, “Well, you just seem to hate Jews, so there’s no point arguing anymore.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Mike Lawler, I never said that,” said Paul as he shoved his finger into Lawler’s face.
Willam Paul was charged with assaulting a flight attendant in 2013, but those charges were dropped. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence following a car crash. He later issued a statement online that seemed to confirm the report, blaming it on an alleged “drinking problem.”
“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,” he wrote.
