Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) announced this week that he had not decided on a favorite candidate in the Republican presidential primary. However, he announced that he would strongly oppose the candidacy of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R).
The Kentucky senator called Haley an “outlier” of the GOP candidates. Paul said that “no libertarian or conservative thinks she’s one of us.” He added that Haley has “been enthusiastic for foreign aid and the most enthusiastic for sending more money to Ukraine.”
Paul did not announce support for any specific candidate, despite backing former President Donald Trump in the past two election cycles.
The senator added that he created a website criticizing her policy stance. He said that this was “sort of the beginning of the process of me getting involved.”
“The one thing I’m absolutely certain of is Nikki Haley doesn’t represent the liberty wing or the fiscally conservative wing of the Republican Party,” he said.
The libertarian-minded senator said that he believed Haley “represents the ‘big government,'” comparing her to Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
He added that no libertarian he had ever met has told him that “they like Nikki Haley.”
Self-described libertarians in Congress have been split in their support of Republican candidates so far. Paul may endorse a specific candidate but has not yet. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and campaigned with him in Iowa.
However, this week Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) announced his support of Trump.
Lee made the announcement on Fox News, telling host Laura Ingraham that his favorite types of “political promises are promises kept Donald Trump has kept promises that he’s made as he has campaigned in the past.”
I just endorsed Donald Trump.
Whether you like Trump or not, Americans face a binary choice.
Biden refuses to enforce our border, prosecutes his opponents, & embraces policies that make life unaffordable for hardworking Americans.
I’ll take the mean tweets.
I choose Trump. https://t.co/hirfTzUqpH
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 13, 2024
On social media, the senator wrote, “Whether you like Trump or not, Americans face a binary choice.” He said that President Joe Biden “refuses to enforce our border, prosecutes his opponents & embraces policies that make like unaffordable for hardworking Americans.” “I’ll take the mean tweets,” Lee wrote. “I choose Trump.”
