Top Republican Michael McCaul was arrested at the airport for “mixing Ambien with alcohol.”
The shocking event occurred two weekends ago at Dulles International Airport, according to the legislator who chairs the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.
“Two weekends ago I made a mistake, one for which I take full responsibility,” McCaul, R-Texas, said in a statement confirming the incident to DailyMail.com.
‘I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented at the airport. This was the result of a bad decision I made by mixing an Ambien (which I took to sleep on the next flight) with some alcohol. Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up.’
A spokesman said McCaul takes the medication because he is a “nervous flyer.”
Top Republican Michael McCaul arrested at airport for ‘mixing Ambien with alcohol’
The president frequently travels in his capacity to meet with world leaders at home and abroad.
He was boarding a flight to Texas, where he lives with his wife Linda and their five children, when he was detained for being disoriented.
The congressman had also reportedly been left without access to his own cell phone during the incident.
He added in the statement that he hopes the incident makes him a better person.
“I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the agents who intercepted me that night.”
He was boarding a flight to Texas, where he lives with his wife Linda and their family, when he was detained for being disoriented.
McCaul posted a photo with his family on Easter
Michael McCaul, his wife Linda and their children
‘This incident does not reflect who I am or who I strive to be. As a human being, I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God willing, to become a better person,” he continued.
In recent months, McCaul has traveled to India and Taiwan to promote diplomatic relations between the United States and foreign nations.
His term as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee is limited, but he can request a waiver from House leaders to extend his term.
House Republicans just held leadership elections on Wednesday, where they unanimously voted for Mike Johnson to be their leader again.
McCaul during a meeting with the Dalai Lama (R) at his residence in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh state, India, in June 2024.
Taiwan’s presidential office on May 27, 2024 shows Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te (right) posing with a hat received from McCaul.
Trump endorsed President Mike Johnson on Wednesday ahead of the leadership election
He will still need to solidify his members’ support before a full House vote on Jan. 3, 2025. Some hardline Republicans remain unconvinced that he should lead them again in the next Congress.
The other current House Republican leaders, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Majority Leader Tom Emmer, will also remain in their positions after Republicans They voted to keep them in power.
Johnson’s victory comes after Trump joined lawmakers Wednesday morning at the Hyatt before meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Trump told Republicans he “100 percent” supports Johnson retaining the presidency. ‘This is a tremendous guy. “I’m with him every step of the way,” Trump said.