Rand Paul performs Heimlich maneuver on Senator Joni Ernst during lunch

‘Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats,’ Sen Joni Ernst writes after incident

Sen Rand Paul of Kentucky reportedly performed the Heimlich maneuver on fellow Republican Sen Joni Ernst of Iowa after she began choking at a US Senate lunch.

The report first emerged after Politico’s Burgess Everett posted on X about the incident. Fellow senators told Politico that Ms Ernst was OK following the incident.

Ms Ernst replied to the tweet less than an hour later, thanking Mr Paul and appearing to confirm the report.

“Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats,” she wrote.

Sen Chuck Grassley posted a photo with Ms Ernst holding plates of food at a lunch with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Thursday afternoon. Ms Ernst appears to be holding a plate with meat, bread, coleslaw and corn.

A spokesperson for Mr Grassley did not have any comment on the incident but confirmed to The Independent that Ms Ernst was the host of this week’s Senate lunch and that she had chosen the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association to cater the meal.

A spokesperson for Ms Ernst confirmed the senator is “doing well” and directed The Independent to her post on X when asked for comment. Mr Paul’s office did not immediately reply to The Independent’s request for comment.