U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is currently one of the few Republican lawmakers willing to voice opposition to President Trump’s decisions and policies. As seen below, when asked about the President’s decision to hold a military parade on June 14 (the President’s 79th birthday and Flag Day), Paul said “I’ve never been a big fan of goose-stepping soldiers and big tanks and missiles rolling down the street.”
Paul said: “So if you asked me, I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have done it.”
The Senator added: “I’m not sure what the actual expense of it is. But I’m not really, you know, we were always different than, you know, the images you saw of the Soviet Union and North Korea. We were proud not to be that. And I don’t, I’m not proposing that’s the image we would want to project. But I’m worried about the image that it isn’t necessarily the best image to show.”
Rand Paul, on Trump's North Korean-style military parade to honor himself on his birthday at the expense of American taxpayers. 😳👇 pic.twitter.com/vCnGbDd882
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) June 11, 2025
Many on X are responding to Paul’s comments with agreement, including those who don’t often agree with the Senator. As one replied; “I rarely agree with Rand Paul. In this case, I am so pleased he stated his feelings about this publicly.” Another replied: “When Rand Paul is the GOP Voice of Sanity we are in deep trouble.”
And another wrote: “I respect Rand Paul for multiple things he’s said & done over the past few months. My politics don’t align w/ his but they don’t need to for me to appreciate that he is principled-even when it costs him to be so. We need our leaders to stand for something.”
That cost has included public rebuke from Trump, especially after Paul ridiculed the Trump agenda reconciliation bill, which squeaked through the House by a single vote and is now being considered by the Senate.
Taking aim at Paul’s objections to the “big beautiful bill” — which the Senator characterized as fiscally irresponsible — the President condemned him in a social media post saying: “Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not.”
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