A US Senator said he was attacked by an "angry mob" as he left the Republican National Convention.
Rand Paul said he was accosted by more than 100 people near the White House on Thursday and had to be rescued by police.
Videos circulating on social media show the senator and his wife Kelley walking down the street as crowds gathered around them.
People can be seen shouting at the politician and shoving the police who were trying to protect the couple.
The police could be heard asking the crowd to "back-off" as they escorted the senator to his hotel.
It was not immediately clear as to what led to incident.
Mr Paul wrote on Twitter after the alleged incident: "Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House. Thank you to @DCPoliceDept for literally saving our lives from a crazed mob."
Republican Senator Ted Cruz tweeted: "What happened to Rand & Kelley tonight (and numerous others exiting the RNC) was wrong.
"The police protecting them were heroic, but this needs to stop. This is very close to escalating to serious violence."
It comes as hundreds of anti-Trump protesters had gathered outside the White House on Thursday evening.
The demonstrations coincided with Donald Trump's speech as he officially accepted the Republican Party's nomination for the 2020 presidential election.
Attendees could hear the protesters sounding horns near the White House as he spoke.
Black Lives Matter protests, which were sparked by the police killing of black man George Floyd in Minnesota in May, had begun to subside in recent weeks.
But angry protests have erupted again after a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin fired seven bullets point blank into the back of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, as he attempted to get into a car with his children inside.
