Rand Paul Directs Antisemitic Remarks at Rep. Mike Lawler Republican Senator Rand Paul directed antisemitic remarks at Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) during a dinner, mistakenly believing that the congressman is Jewish. The incident highlights divisions within the Republican Party and the upcoming congressional primary in Kentucky. The outlet ... said Paul told Lawler that if Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) loses his primary next week, "your people" will be to blame. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) was dining Tuesday night at the Tune Inn in Washington, D.C. , with a friend and Reese Gorman, a reporter for that Paul began directing antisemitic remarks at Lawler. Apparently under the mistaken belief that the congressman is Jewish, Paul told Lawler that if Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) loses his primary next week, "your people" will be to blame.Ron's newsletters cannot be surprised by this. Jamie Kirchick didin 2008. I'm hoping it skipped a generation with Rand, who has been remarkably disciplined and has rarely made reference to his father's fringe following. And you'd better believe we should call this out just as much as we call out Democrats, with the caveat that William Paul isn't in office or running for one.Paul's apology may close the immediate controversy, but the incident has already attracted broader attention because of both the nature of the remarks and his family's political prominence. Regardless of the apology, the incident is likely to linger because it touched multiple political fault lines at once: antisemitism, divisions within the Republican Party, and especially the contentious, closely watched upcoming congressional primary in Kentucky. Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner.She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on Massie any better? Pro-Massie PAC Attacks Trump-Backed Challenger for Having a Jewish, “LGBTQ Mafia” Member Donor. With a rainbow Star of David and all.“Massie, the Kentucky incumbent, is one of the most anti-Israel Republicans in Congress, criticizing U.S. support for Israel and voting against a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. In 2023, Massie voted against a resolution that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism. And most recently, he voted against continued funding for the Iron Dome defense system in Israel and did not support American intervention in Iran.(He has also drawn allegations of antisemitism for comments unrelated to Israel, such as when he compared COVID measures to the Holocaust in a 2021 Twitter post. )