Topline
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) used the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) after she started choking at a Senate lunch Thursday afternoon, multiple outlets reported—an incident Ernst later joked about on social media.
Sen. Rand Paul used the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst at a Senate lunch event on Thursday.
Key Facts
Ernst confirmed the incident in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats.”
Ernst, a second-term senator, had been hosting the lunch, where senators were reportedly served pork chops and ribeye steak—Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) posted a picture of the meal with the caption: “Yummm an Iowa chop from Sen. Ernst & the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association for lunch.”
In response to the incident, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reportedly quipped, “God bless Rand Paul,” adding: “I never though I’d say that.”
Surprising Fact
Paul is a certified medical doctor. The 60-year-old graduated from Duke Medical School in 1988 and started an ophthalmology practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1993, according to his website. Paul also founded an eye exam and surgery clinic, the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic, and performs pro-bono eye surgeries in Kentucky.
Tangent
The incident comes just over eight months after a member of Paul’s staff was assaulted with a knife in Washington D.C., roughly 1.5 miles from the Capitol Building, with Paul saying the staffer was attacked “brutally” and in “broad daylight.” The suspect, 42-year-old Glynn Neal, was arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill, according to the D.C. Metropolitan Police.
Further Reading
Rand Paul Says Staffer ‘Brutally Attacked’ In D.C. (Forbes)
Rand Paul Opposes TikTok Ban In Break With GOP Colleagues—As Senators Could Vote On Bill Wednesday (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/11/30/rand-paul-uses-heimlich-maneuver-on-sen-ernst-after-choking-at-senate-lunch/