Rand Paul Successfully Used The Heimlich Maneuver On Joni Ernst At A GOP Lunch

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, effectively executed the Heimlich maneuver on Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a fellow Republican, as she experienced choking during a Senate luncheon on Thursday.

On the X platform (previously Twitter), Ernst verified the incident in a post where she expressed gratitude to Paul for his intervention. Simultaneously, she took a dig at Democrats. “Can’t help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats,” Ernst said on X. 

Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina informed reporters that he valued Senator Paul’s life-saving efforts.

Ernst, who has been a member of the Senate since 2015, presided over the private luncheon. Every Thursday, a different senator hosts the Senate Republican lunch, featuring cuisine from their respective home state.

Attendees at the current week’s luncheon enjoyed a meal featuring pork chops and ribeye steak, with Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa sharing a photo of the spread on X.

Paul is a physician with a specialization in ophthalmology.

The senator, who is 60 years old, completed his education at Duke Medical School in 1988. Subsequently, in 1993, he established an ophthalmology practice in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as mentioned on his website. Additionally, he initiated the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic, a foundation that offers eye examinations and surgical procedures for low-income citizens.

Ernst wasn’t the initial senator to require the Heimlich maneuver during a luncheon on Capitol Hill.

During a Senate lunch in 2018, Democrat Claire McCaskill from Missouri experienced choking, prompting Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to administer the Heimlich maneuver to assist her.

Nevertheless, in the course of assisting McCaskill, Manchin unintentionally fractured one of her ribs.