Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), son of presidential contender Ron Paul- both who are known for libertarian philosophies- was detained this morning in Tennessee after refusing a pat-down by the Transportation Security Administration, better known as the TSA.
Perhaps Paul was smuggling some illegal cupcakes ? News of his detainment by the controversial agency broke via his dad on several social media outlets, and on Facebook, Paul told his many fans and followers:
My son Rand is currently being detained by the TSA at the Nashville Airport. I’ll share more details as the situation unfolds.
The situation, described as a “standoff” by many media outlets, was confirmed by Rand Paul staffer Moira Bagley, who tweeted :
Just got a call from @ senrandpaul . He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville
Rand Paul himself has not yet addressed the incident on his own Twitter account, and his dad has not yet updated with any information as to how or if the situation has been resolved. The TSA, however, has released a statement about this morning’s events at the Tennessee airport, saying to the public:
“When an irregularity is found during the TSA screening process, it must be resolved prior to allowing a passenger to proceed to the secure area of the airport. Passengers who refuse to complete the screening process cannot be granted access to the secure area in order to ensure the safety of others traveling.”
Rand Paul has long taken issue with the invasiveness of TSA pat downs, and in a hearing last June, he said to TSA administrator John Pistole:
“I think you ought to get rid of the random pat-downs. The American public is unhappy with them, they’re unhappy with the invasiveness of them.”
Do you agree with Rand Paul? Are TSA pat downs unnecessary and invasive?