Sen. Rand Paul ‘detained’ by TSA for refusing full-body pat-down

Sen. Rand Paul refused to allow TSA officers to perform a full-body pat-down at an airport in Nashville, according to his father, Ron Paul.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), son of White House hopeful Ron Paul, was detained by the TSA Monday after refusing a pat-down, his dad tweeted Monday.

The father-son pair, both renegade libertarians within their party, are harsh critics of TSA searches they brand intrusive, and have called for the agency’s elimination.

“My son @SenRandPaul being detained by TSA for refusing full body pat-down after anomaly in body scanner in Nashville. More details coming,” the Texas Republican congressman wrote.

A TSA official, however, denied that the Senator was detained. Instead, the official said that per policy he was denied access to the terminal and escorted from the security checkpoint by local police.

TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said, “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.”

An official said Paul “has since rebooked on another flight and was rescreened without incident.”

The younger politician was heading to Washington to address the March for Life, a massive Pro-Life rally marking Sunday’s 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.