Why Senator Rand Paul Hasn’t Endorsed Trump

Sep 24, 2024

In this engaging conversation, Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky libertarian and fiscal hawk, shares his unique perspective on the American political landscape. He delves into his refusal to endorse Trump, citing concerns over the staggering $1.9 trillion deficit. Paul argues for cuts in military and social spending, challenging both parties’ sacred cows. He also critiques the rising protectionist sentiments and loyalty to populism, advocating for accountability in government finances while navigating the complexities of U.S. foreign policy.

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INSIGHT

Reasons for Not Endorsing Trump

Senator Rand Paul hasn't endorsed Donald Trump due to concerns about the deficit and tariffs.
He believes the deficit drives inflation and threatens the US's financial stability.

INSIGHT

Choosing Between Two Evils

While Senator Paul acknowledges the Democratic party's spending issues, he sees the Republican party as slightly better fiscally.
He prefers Republicans because they're more honest about the need for opportunity and not something for nothing.

INSIGHT

Republican Betrayal and Future Conflict

Republicans claim to care about the debt but avoid addressing entitlements.
Senator Paul believes a key conflict in the Republican Party's future lies between nationalist populists and free-market advocates.

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If you’re a listener of this show, then you’ve probably heard of the horseshoe theory. It’s basically this idea that when you go far enough to the left and far enough to the right, the voices start to sound pretty similar. This is certainly the case when you listen to sound bites of both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump talk about trade and tariffs.

But during this time—what my colleague Peter Savodnik has called our great political scramble—some voices don’t seem to fit in anywhere, voices like that of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Senator Paul is a bit of an anomaly on the American right. He’s traditionally libertarian, pro free trade, pro market, and anti subsidy. He’s a deficit hawk and criticizes both Trump and Biden on spending, and he is one of just seven senators who still refuses to endorse Trump. He says it’s over the $1.9 trillion deficit.

Senator Paul says to lower the deficit we’d need to cut military spending, cut Medicaid, cut Medicare, and cut Social Security. But neither Republicans nor Democrats will go near those sacred cows these days.

All of these attributes make him an endangered species in a party that is less fiscally conservative, more protectionist, and increasingly anti immigration—all positions that are antithetical to Rand Paul’s libertarian worldview. At the same time, Senator Paul is having somewhat of a renaissance when it comes to his foreign policy outlook. The new right and the MAGA movement are the opposite of the Reagan-era neocons skeptical of our ambitions abroad, and firmly against the “forever wars.” All stances Senator Paul agrees with.

Today, we talk to Senator Paul to find out how he fits into the new right, when Republicans stopped caring about balancing the budget, why he wants to cut military spending, and cut aid to Israel. We ask if the U.S. can remain the world’s hegemon, while spending less, and if that’s even still a worthy goal, and finally, how Donald Trump and J.D. Vance totally lost the plot.

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