Rep. Michael McCaul arrested after appearing drunk at airport

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U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, an Austin Republican and chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, was briefly detained at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., on November 4 during an incident he called “the result of a bad decision” to mix. Atmosphere and alcohol.

McCaul, who was returning home to Texas, was charged with being drunk in public around 9 p.m. on Nov. 4 and released shortly afterward, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

A nervous traveler, McCaul had taken Ambien to help him sleep during his flight, his spokesperson said, confirming a Semafor report.

Mixing the drug with alcohol made him dizzy and disoriented, leading him to miss his flight and lock himself out of his phone, according to his spokesperson. Airport police then arrested him, believing he was intoxicated.

He was released shortly after being arrested when a family member came to pick him up.

“Two weekends ago, I made a mistake, for which I take full responsibility,” McCaul said in a statement. “I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented at the airport. It was the result of a bad decision I made. mix an Ambien – which I took to sleep on the next flight – with alcohol.

“I have nothing but respect and gratitude to the police officers who stopped me that evening,” he said. “This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God willing, become a better person.

McCaul is term-limited in his coveted post as head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for which he travels regularly to meet with world leaders. He said he would seek special permission from GOP leaders to continue serving as the committee’s top Republican beyond his six-year term limit next year, when the new Congress begins.

As committee chairman, McCaul was instrumental in pushing a new infusion of aid to Ukraine across the finish line this year, in the face of fierce opposition from the party’s right and the president elected Donald Trump. He has also been a strong advocate for China, leading efforts to force the sale of TikTok to an American company.

If allowed to keep his committee gavel, McCaul pledged to continue supporting key U.S. allies around the world and keeping pressure on adversaries like Russia and China — even if a second Trump administration ushers in a redefined and isolationist vision of foreign policy.

He is one of the most experienced members of the Texas delegation, having also served as the top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee from 2013 to 2019.