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Rand Paul, who shares many of Massie’s libertarian principles, also voted against the same spending bill in the Senate and has been a long-time critic of presidents—Republican or Democrat—who bypass Congress to wage military action. Now, Paul is stepping up to help ensure Massie keeps his seat.
“Thomas Massie is going to win,” Paul told POLITICO. “I’m going to help him. I’m going to be with him every step of the way.”
Paul praised Massie as one of the few truly “independent voices” left in Washington — a lawmaker unafraid to question leadership from either party. Despite their differences with Trump on certain policies, Paul made it clear that both he and Massie support the America First agenda “significantly more” than many establishment Republicans pretending to do the same.
“The people who’ve gotten close to him who want regime change in Venezuela and want to send more advanced weaponry to Ukraine, those are the interventionists from the interventionist wing of the party who have never been the ones really closely allied,” Paul said. “These are the people who have always opposed Donald Trump.”
Paul added that he and Massie will keep championing constitutional principles such as limited government, fiscal restraint, and non-interventionist foreign policy — the same ideals that first fueled the Tea Party movement. “Enumerated powers, balanced budgets, low taxes, and less foreign war,” he emphasized.
But Paul also sounded a note of warning to Republicans nationwide: Trump’s decision to target Massie could send a chilling message to any GOP lawmaker who dares to think independently.
“It’s a warning sign,” he said. “‘Oppose me or any of my policies, and I’ll come after you.’ And I don’t think that’s good for the Republican Party, nor do I think it’s good for the country.”
Paul also expressed growing frustration with being cast as the Senate’s “whipping boy.” According to the Kentucky senator, many of his Republican peers rely on him to confront the president on tough issues while they stay silent.
“They say, ‘Oh, well, you’re not afraid of the president. You go tell him his nominee can’t make it,’” Paul explained. “So, I’m just tired of always being the whipping boy. I’m tired of [being] the only one that has any guts to stand up and tell the president the truth.”
In recent months, Paul has faced his own share of criticism from Trump but remains undeterred. Most recently, he condemned U.S. military strikes against vessels allegedly linked to narcotics trafficking, citing concerns about innocent lives and lack of due process.
He pointed to Coast Guard data showing that a notable percentage of vessels detained under such operations are, in fact, innocent — evidence, Paul argues, of government overreach.
Adding to tensions, Paul revealed that he was excluded from a recent White House luncheon for Republican senators, reportedly due to his continued disagreements with Trump. Still, the senator brushed it off, noting he had already scheduled a “Liberty Caucus Lunch” with Massie that same day.
As campaign season heats up, Paul has been spotted alongside Massie on the trail and vows to continue supporting him across Kentucky. Their alliance, rooted in principle over politics, is setting the stage for one of the most closely watched GOP primary battles in the nation — a test not just of loyalty to Trump, but of whether conservative voters still value independence over allegiance.
