Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was detained by police at Dulles International Airport earlier this month. McCaul said he became “disoriented” at the Washington DC-area airport after mixing alcohol and medication before his scheduled flight to Texas. The House Republican said he made a “poor decision.” “Two weekends ago, I made a mistake – one for which I take full responsibility. I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport. This was the result of a poor decision I made to mix an Ambien – which I took in order to sleep on the upcoming flight – with some alcohol,” McCaul said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.  “Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening. 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, make myself a better person,” he added. U.S. Rep Michael McCaul, the chair of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, was briefly detained at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. on Nov. 4, in an incident he called “the result of a poor decision” to mix Ambien and alcohol. https://t.co/c2wfQ812Xn — Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) November 13, 2024 From the Associated Press: McCaul was reelected this month to an 11th term in his district that runs from Austin to the Houston suburbs. Michael McCaul detained at Dulles, acknowledges mistake in mixing alcohol, Ambien https://t.co/0iJYGYdTWM — The Hill (@thehill) November 14, 2024 Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told NBC News he recently "made a mistake" mixing Ambien and alcohol ahead of a flight and was "briefly detained" by police. https://t.co/KiOiMlCvv2 — NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) November 14, 2024 Per Semafor: A McCaul spokesperson confirmed the recent incident, describing the congressman as “a nervous flyer” who took the popular sleep aid Ambien and consumed alcohol before boarding a flight home to Texas. McCaul ultimately missed that flight, he told Semafor, adding that he was disoriented from the combination of the medication and alcohol, subsequently locking himself out of his cell phone. He was later found by police, who assumed McCaul was intoxicated and detained him, according to his spokesperson.

Multiple Senate Republicans signaled they would not support confirming the nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as President Trump’s attorney general. “I don’t think it is a serious nomination for the attorney general. We need to have a serious attorney general and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious. This one was not on my bingo card,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said. Murkowski: I don't think it is a serious nomination for the attorney general. We need to have a serious attorney general and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to consider somebody that is serious. This one was not on my bingo card. pic.twitter.com/CAzLQFGHKb — Acyn (@Acyn) November 14, 2024 “He will never get confirmed,” a Republican senator, who spoke anonymously, told Fox News Digital. “Ain’t gonna happen,” one Senate Republican source told the outlet. Matt Gaetz faces GOP Senate opposition after Trump selection for attorney general https://t.co/oIyPGSo4Pf — Fox News (@FoxNews) November 13, 2024 Fox News reports: Gaetz’s office referred Fox News Digital to his response on X, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” and did not comment on the GOP criticism about his potential confirmation. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters, “I think we have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.” He was prompted about whether the House Ethics investigation currently being conducted into Gaetz would factor in to his confirmation, to which the senator replied: “That might come up.” The allegations being probed by the committee include sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts. Responding to the announcement of Gaetz’s selection for attorney general, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who chairs the Ethics Committee, said that “once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then ethics has no jurisdiction. So if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the Attorney General, the ethics investigation [which] is currently ongoing would cease at that point.” It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General! pic.twitter.com/dg0iQ0bA6Y — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) November 13, 2024 Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) hinted at pushback due to the ethics investigation into Gaetz. “He’s under investigation by the House Committee on Ethics,” Collins said, according to Fox News. “Obviously, the president has the right to nominate whomever he wishes, but this is why the background checks that are done by the FBI and the advice and consent process in the Senate, and public hearings are also important,” she added. “We ought to have a full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people. And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going!” Gaetz said Wednesday. We ought to have a full court press against this WEAPONIZED government that has been turned against our people. And if that means ABOLISHING every one of the three letter agencies, from the FBI to the ATF, I’m ready to get going! pic.twitter.com/Wsp8zVuBEU — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 13, 2024 Per NBC News: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who sits on the Judiciary Committee that oversees the nomination, said the Senate will “have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.” “I don’t know the man, other than sort of this public persona,” Cornyn told reporters. When asked about Gaetz being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct, Cornyn deadpanned: “Well, that might come up.” “I don’t know whether there’s any basis to it or not,” he added. “So yeah, I’m sure we’ll be asking a lot of questions.” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who also serves on the Judiciary Committee, said the Senate will give Gaetz an “honest look” and that the investigations involving the congressman will be “part of the process” of considering him for the job.

The second volume of US bluesman Kenny Wayne Shepherd's Dirt On My Diamonds series is out now