Visiting a COVID vaccination site on Tuesday, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was asked about colleagues who are not wearing masks. He did not mince words, calling Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) “kind of a lunatic,” The Columbus Dispatch reported. Paul, he added, “thinks he wants to be different but it doesn't serve the public interest.” The barb brought a muddled response from Paul, who said in a statement: “Vaccine deniers, who dispute immunity after natural infection and after vaccination, should refrain from name-calling and perhaps try to get informed.”

Brown is not a vaccine denier: He has been vaccinated and has been urging his constituents to get inoculated. It appears Paul was referring to Brown calling him out in February for not wearing a mask on the Senate floor. Paul claims he is immune since he already had COVID-19, although many public health experts say mask-wearing after infection or after getting the shot is still prudent.