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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is warning President Donald Trump that there is a sure way his MAGA movement will “dissolve,” not considering any potential new revelations about his ties to the late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein but rather the escalation of the conflict with Venezuela.
Paul argued on the “Reason” podcast Thursday that this could become Trump’s undoing.
“I actually think Trump is the least likely to want to do these things, but he’s surrounded by people who believe in regime change and are egging him on,” he said. “However, I believe that if he invades Venezuela… his movement will dissolve.”
The Trump administration has engaged in a series of US military attacks against suspected drug traffickers and their vessels in Pacific and Caribbean waters in recent months, killing more than 70 people without due process or congressional authorization.
Paul argued that Trump’s break with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a devoted ally who broke with the president over his stance on the Epstein files, “will pale in comparison to what will happen to his movement” if the United States invades Venezuela.
Trump has certainly weathered countless scandals while in office, but his dismissal of the Epstein case as a Democratic “hoax” this year began to fracture his own base. Trump finally signed a bill earlier this week to release classified documents about Epstein.
Paul himself confirmed on Thursday that he is “on the side of transparency” in the matter.
“I think it’s important,” he explained. “And if the government is going to deliver justice, let the justice be impartial based on the color of your skin, impartial based on who you are individually, but also impartial based on your financial circumstances.”
Left: Manuel Balce Ceneta/News; Right: Manuel Balce Ceneta/News
The topic of the financial privileges of alleged criminals led Paul to talk about the economy.
He was offended by Trump’s narrative that countries like China are “ripping us off” economically, as Trump often does to defend his international tariffs, and said that blaming foreigners for America’s financial worries is “false nationalism or patriotism.”
Trump has routinely invoked his emergency presidential powers to impose his tariffs.
Paul went on to denounce that the “two dozen Republicans” who seemed eager to help him pass legislation to limit such rampant use of emergency powers, at least when former President Joe Biden was in office, have simply “gone” now that Trump is back in power.
“And it really surprises me that the people who were for “Emergency reform is voting to continue emergencies,” Paul said Thursday. “Trump’s declared emergencies with 130 countries. I mean, these are literally things you would do if you were at war.”
Paul capitulated: “But that’s what we’ve allowed to happen.”