Rand Paul Uses Heimlich Maneuver on Fellow Senator Who Was Choking on Food During Lunch

During a Senate luncheon on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who is also a doctor, performed a successful Heimlich maneuver on Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst.

This incident occurred while the two lawmakers were attending the chamber’s “Iowa Day” event, where Ernst reportedly choked on food, as reported by Politico’s Congressional Bureau Chief Burgess Everett.

“Whoa: Rand Paul used the Heimlich maneuver on Joni Ernst at Senate lunch today,” Everett wrote on X. “She was choking on some food, per attendees. She’s OK, senators say.”

Ernst, now reportedly in good condition thanks to Paul’s timely intervention, humorously commented on the incident on social media. “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats. Thanks, Dr. [Rand Paul]!” Ernst posted.

Sens. Paul and Ernst, despite being colleagues, have had their share of disagreements, particularly on issues like aid to Ukraine. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, known for his frequent disagreements with Paul, especially on foreign policy, reacted to the incident with a touch of humor.

“God bless Rand Paul,” Graham said to The Washington Post reporter Liz Goodwin. “I never thought I’d say that,” he added.

Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, is known in Washington for his libertarian stance and willingness to confront established figures. His recent confrontations include challenging Dr. Anthony Fauci and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In a recent hearing, Paul questioned Mayorkas about government censorship, asking, “Do you consider a discussion on vaccine efficacy a threat to the homeland?”

He also inquired about Mayorkas’ engagement with social media companies, regarding content moderation, specifically asking if these discussions involved vaccine efficacy, mask effectiveness or Hunter Biden’s laptop. Mayorkas firmly replied, “No, Senator. We haven’t participated in such meetings.”

FBI Director Chris Wray was similarly questioned by Paul about the agency’s involvement with social media platforms. Wray, like Mayorkas, emphasized that their discussions were focused on “the threat environment that the homeland faced.”

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