Rand Paul attacked the White House's “immature” after abolishing the picnic invitation, saying he lost “very respect” to Trump
Republican Senator Rand Paul accused the White House of “immature” and enjoyed a “little struggle” with members of both sides after he and his family had a picnic with the annual White House.
Paul, a liberal deficit hawk, has been deeply concerned about President Donald Trump's comprehensive policy bill. He said his family, including his nearly six-month-old grandson, planned to attend a bipartisan picnic Thursday on Thursday’s White House lawn. But Paul said their invitation was suddenly cancelled, with no real explanation, even if the move comes after Trump and his aides have been slamming Paul’s position on the presidential bill.
“The level of immaturity is beyond words,” Paul said of the White House, adding that he lost “very respect” to Trump.
Paul told CNN Wednesday night outside the Capitol. “I argued from a real belief and worried that our country was in debt and deteriorating. They chose to react by launching a picnic to my grandson. I don't know. I just think it really made me lose the respect I once had for Donald Trump.”
CNN has contacted the White House.
This move may be a risk for Trump. To pass the Senate agenda, he could only afford the support of three Republican senators. Paul accused him of not being able to support the bill because it included restrictions on increasing national debt, but he said he would be willing to consider it if Republican leaders removed the bill from the general bill. The White House and top Republicans rejected Paul's demand.
“I think it's a level of war they bent over, and it's a sad day,” Paul said. “But it doesn't work very well. It may have the opposite result.”
It is unclear whether the directive came directly from the president or “a small staff member who had been performing me on Twitter for two weeks’ paid influencer campaign.”
“Who knows if this comes from him,” Paul said of Trump. “It may come from low-level workers, but these people shouldn't be working there.”
He then shot a shot at Stephen Miller, the White House’s most powerful aide.
“You're basically talking casually about people who act out of habeas protection,” Paul said. “And, the people who guide the sport are the same people who casually throw away parts of the constitution and suspend habeas protection.
Paul nodded when asked if he was talking about Miller.
When CNN asked him if he thought Miller should still work in the White House, Paul would just say, “I just want to keep it.”
Paul added: “I like Donald Trump, but when they want to act this way, they start losing a lot of America’s America and they want to know, ‘Why has everything to drop to this level?’” Paul added.
Paul said his wife Kelley, along with his son, daughter and baby grandson, are all planning to attend Thursday's event and are planning to fly Thursday morning.
“President Obama didn't lie to us… Biden didn't lie to us, we always do it,” Paul said, noting that he's been to 10 White Houses for picnics. “This is the American White House. We all pay for it.”
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