Congressman Mike Lawler is speaking out forcefully after what he described as a disturbing antisemitic confrontation involving William Paul, the son of Senator Rand Paul, during an incident that reportedly took place at a Washington, D.C. restaurant late Tuesday night.

According to Lawler, the encounter began after he stopped to grab food following a long day and was meeting with a friend and a journalist when William Paul allegedly inserted himself into the conversation and began making inflammatory comments.

Lawler said Paul allegedly blamed “your people” if Congressman Thomas Massie were to lose politically. When Lawler asked who he meant by “my people,” he claimed Paul shouted, “Jews.”

Lawler said he responded by explaining that he is “Irish, Italian, Catholic,” to which Paul allegedly replied, “Oh, I’m sorry to accuse you of that.”

The congressman described the remark as “remarkable in and of itself,” saying the conversation then escalated into what he called a roughly 10-minute antisemitic rant involving comments about Israel, Jewish people, and conspiracy theories that “played right into typical antisemitic tropes.”

“I think that’s disgusting,” Lawler said during remarks following the incident.

Lawler also tied the confrontation to what he described as a growing culture of hatred and antisemitism in society and online, noting that he represents one of the largest Jewish populations in the nation in New York’s 17th Congressional District.

“I’m not going to stop standing up for my constituents,” Lawler said. “I’m not going to stop standing up for the Judeo-Christian values that are at the core of our nation, our Constitution, and our rule of law.”

Lawler added that the rhetoric he encountered reflects the type of hatred many Jewish Americans, including many in his own district, increasingly face.

The incident was first reported by NOTUS, whose reporter was present at the bar when it occurred. The confrontation ended when Paul gave Lawler the middle finger and, the congressman said, “tripped on his way out the door.”

The Anti-Defamation League condemned William Paul’s remarks as “disgusting and dangerous” and credited Lawler for speaking out. “The fact that a member of Congress was subjected to this kind of abuse so openly is outrageous and a sign of how far too normalized antisemitism has become,” the group said in a statement.

“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,” William Paul posted on X Wednesday afternoon.

Lawler has been among the more vocal members of Congress on antisemitism. Last month, he and Rep. Josh Gottheimer introduced a resolution targeting antisemitic rhetoric from commentators Hasan Piker and Candace Owens, urging social media platforms to enforce their hate speech policies.

“I think it speaks to a larger issue in society and what we’re seeing among young people and online,” Lawler said Wednesday. “This is the level of hatred and vitriol that some of my Jewish colleagues experience, but also that many of my constituents experience.”