Video shows Rand Paul being 'verbally assaulted' by 'aggressive libs,' aide says

LOUISVILLE — Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was "verbally assaulted" by "aggressive libs" while having lunch Friday in California, one of his aides says.

Sergio Gor, Paul's deputy chief of staff, posted a video to Twitter that captures an encounter with two people whom Gor said were "complaining about incivility" to the senator and his staff.

The 24-second video starts with a man saying, "I'm not being rude. He's a public official. I have a right to speak to him."

The camera then swings over to a woman who gives the middle finger and then shouts, "You just ran into two people from New York, kiddo, and we are not putting up with your Republican bull----!"

The man can then be heard saying, "All I am saying is that while you and I possibly, probably, don't have much in common politically, right? We are Americans."

The video then abruptly ends. It is unclear what preceded the clip and what happened afterward.

A Paul spokesperson said Gor was the only staffer with the senator at the time and "Senator Paul was sitting eating when they came up to him and Sergio unprompted."

Paul, who was in Simi Valley, California, as part of his book tour, shared Gor's tweet and quickly went partisan.

"The left blames incivility on @realDonaldTrump. Watch this video and decide who the rude ones are..."

Note: This video contains language that some readers might find offensive.

Meanwhile, fellow Republicans came to Paul's defense.

Sen. Ted Cruz shared the video and wrote, "This is wrong. This anger & rage is unhealthy for our Nation. Treat each other with civility (both sides) even if — especially if— we disagree."

Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and presidential candidate, wrote Saturday, "These unhinged old loons screaming at @RandPaul are probably someone's grandparents. Do they hope their grandkids turn out like this? I actually feel sorry for them. Do they really think they are winning? Uncorked rage, hate, and vile. They need help."

The encounter comes roughly two months after a protester demonstrating outside the house of Kentucky's other senator, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, called for McConnell to be harmed.

After a man makes a reference to a hypothetical McConnell voodoo doll, the protester replied, "Just stab the m----- f----- in the heart." That comment went viral on Twitter.

McConnell has previously had a meal interrupted as well. Last October, the senator was heckled at Havana Rumba in Louisville while out with his wife, Elaine Chao. At one point, a man took McConnell's to-go box off the table, opened the door and dumped the food on the sidewalk.

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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Rand Paul California restaurant video shows senator being harassed