Sen. Rand Paul Performs The Heimlich On Fellow Sen. Joni Ernst After Choking On Her Lunch

In a Republican conference lunch at the Capitol on Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) came to the aid of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) when she started to choke.

Paul reportedly performed the Heimlich maneuver on Ernst.

Ernst later thanked Paul on X where she made a joke about the cause of the incident.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-South Dakota), who attended the lunch, clarified to the public that Ernst choked on food, not policies.  

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had posted a picture to X in celebration of that day’s Iowa-inspired meal. The photo of the meal featured dishes such as pork chops and beef sandwiches.

Multiple Republicans expressed their gratitude for Paul’s quick action. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) praised Paul. “It was great that Rand was there,” she said.

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), who regularly disagrees with Paul on policy matters, commended him. “It’s a good thing he did,” he said. “God bless Rand Paul. I never thought I’d say that.”

After the incident, Paul and Ernst reportedly explained to their colleagues what had occurred and discussed the importance of proper knowledge when one responds to such an emergency. Lummis said they also discussed the availability of Heimlich maneuver training in the Senate and shared their own experiences with similar incidents.

This is not the first time a Senator has received the Heimlich maneuver from a colleague. In 2018, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) inadvertently broke Sen. Claire McCaskill‘s (D-Missouri) rib when he performed the Heimlich on her.

As an eye doctor, Paul has a medical background. He graduated from Duke Medical School in 1988 and subsequently established an ophthalmology practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1993. He is the founder of the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic, which offers eye examinations and surgical services to individuals and families with limited financial resources.

In 2019, Paul was awarded $580,000 for a fight with his neighbor over his lawn maintenance.