Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) was detained by law enforcement early in November after what he called “the result of a poor decision” to mix Ambien and alcohol.
The incident, first reported Wednesday by Semafor’s Kadia Goba, took place at Dulles International Airport.
A McCaul spokesperson confirmed the incident to Semafor, describing McCaul as a “nervous flyer” who took Ambient and consumed alcohol before departing Dulles to return to Texas.
He never made that flight, according to a spokesperson, and was later found by police and detained under the assumption of intoxication.
The spokesperson added that McCaul was disoriented from the combination of Ambien and alcohol and had locked himself out of his phone.
“Two weekends ago, I made a mistake — one for which I take full responsibility,” McCaul said in a statement to Semafor. “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. Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up.”
McCaul added to Semafor that he has “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.”
McCaul is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, although he is term limited and would need a waiver from Republican leadership to remain through next Congress.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.