Washington, D.C. (May 14, 2026) William Paul, the son of Senator Rand Paul, is facing backlash after allegedly directing antisemitic remarks toward Congressman Mike Lawler during a confrontation at a Capitol Hill bar Tuesday night.

According to reports, the incident unfolded during a discussion about a closely watched Republican primary race in Kentucky involving Rep. Thomas Massie. William Paul, who reportedly identified himself as the senator’s son, interrupted a conversation involving Lawler and made comments referencing “your people” before explicitly directing antisemitic language toward Jews.

Lawler, who represents a New York district with one of the country’s largest Jewish populations, repeatedly challenged the remarks and accused Paul of engaging in antisemitism. Witnesses said the exchange escalated further, with additional inflammatory comments allegedly targeting both Jewish and LGBTQ individuals.

The confrontation also reportedly touched on campaign funding and American support for Israel, themes that have increasingly surfaced in contentious political debates online and within some corners of the Republican Party.

Following the incident, William Paul posted a public statement acknowledging he had been drinking heavily and saying the comments did not reflect who he is. He also indicated he was seeking help for alcohol-related issues.

Lawler later said the episode reflected a broader rise in hostility and extremist rhetoric, particularly online, and noted that many Jewish Americans regularly encounter similar language and behavior.

William Paul has faced legal troubles in the past, including prior alcohol-related incidents and a past assault case that was ultimately dismissed. Thank you Mike Lawler as always for standing up for the Jewish people.

(Language warning: Some swearing included.)

We are seeing an alarming rise in antisemitism across the country, and the incident that occurred on Tuesday night is a stark reminder of that. For an individual to belligerently confront me because they believed I was Jewish is shocking and unacceptable. Worse than that,… pic.twitter.com/jg63Swmzda

— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) May 14, 2026