Sen. Rand Paul Says Richard Marx Is Inciting Violent Attacks Against Him

When Republican politicians raise alarms about "cultural Marxism," they're not usually talking about Richard Marx, the late-'80s and early-'90s adult-contemporary hitmaker. But right now, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul claims that Richard Marx is to blame for a suspicious package of white powder that arrived at his house on Monday. Today, Paul issued a statement that Richard Marx "called for violence" against him.

Richard Marx, whose song "Hold On To The Nights" recently appeared in our Number Ones column, has become a big Twitter presence in recent years, and he takes clear delight in dunking on right-wingers. On Sunday, in response to Paul's statement that he wasn't going to get a COVID-19 vaccination, Marx tweeted, "If I ever meet Rand Paul’s neighbor I’m going to hug him and buy him as many drinks as he can consume." (In a 2017 fight over yard maintenance, Paul's neighbor Rene Boucher tackled him and broke six of his ribs, which resulted in a 30-day prison sentence.)

https://twitter.com/richardmarx/status/1396519422043385863

Yesterday, Fox News reported that a package showed up at Paul's house yesterday. It had white powder, a picture of Paul in a neck brace, and a note that said, "I'll finish what your neighbor started you motherfucker." In a statement to Politico, Paul said:

I take these threats immensely seriously. As a repeated target of violence, it is reprehensible that Twitter allows C-list celebrities to encourage violence against me and my family. Just this weekend Richard Marx called for violence against me and now we receive this powder filled letter.

On Twitter, Marx has been laughing off the idea that he had anything to do with any threats on Rand Paul's life.

Last year, Stereogum talked to Marx about his Twitter battles; you can read that interview here.