Rand Paul pledges support for Massie against Trump-backed challenger: 'I'm going to help him'

Sen Rand Paul R-Ky stated he will be supporting fellow liberty-minded lawmaker Rep Thomas Massie R-Ky as he faces a primary challenge from a candidate backed by President Donald Trump Trump endorsed vocal loyalist and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein last week after calling for a challenger to Massie who continues to pressure the administration to release the remaining files related to the Jeffrey Epstein examination Massie has stood up to Trump and bucked his party on other issues including by voting against the president's spending bill over the summer and affirming that Trump requirements congressional approval for a war declaration Paul who has also stood up to Trump voted against the bill in the Senate and has criticized the administration for moving forward with military strikes without authorization from lawmakers Now Paul is endorsing Massie's re-election campaign and is vowing to help him hold onto his House seat SCOOP TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE Thomas Massie is going to win Paul stated POLITICO I m going to help him I m going to be with him every step of the way Paul disclosed Massie represents an independent voice within the GOP after his repeated splits with the party but stated that both Massie and himself backing Trump s agenda significantly more than other Republicans who have sought to remain close allies of the president The people who ve gotten close to him who want regime change in Venezuela and want to send more advanced weaponry to Ukraine those are the interventionists from the interventionist wing of the party who have never been the ones really closely allied Paul commented These are the people who have inevitably opposed Donald Trump Paul announced he and Massie will continue to push for enumerated powers as well as balanced budgets low taxes and less foreign war The Kentucky senator mentioned Trump s efforts to single out Massie should raise concerns for all Republican lawmakers stressing that there are probable political consequences for opposing the president s agenda It s a warning sign he mentioned 'Oppose me or any of my policies and I ll come after you ' And I don t think that s good for the Republican Party nor do I think it s good for the country The senator reported he is also tired of being the Republican Party s whipping boy as several of his colleagues consistently want him to do their job for them when they are afraid to tell Trump if his nominees do not have the votes in the Upper Chamber They say 'Oh well you re not afraid of the president You go tell him his nominee can t make it ' Paul noted So I m just tired of invariably being the whipping boy I m tired of being the only one that has any guts to stand up and tell the president the truth Paul has also been met with Trump's ire in current months but continues to hold his ground Most of lately he has criticized the administration's military strikes on boats it accuses without evidence of carrying narco-terrorists Paul raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people He cited Coast Guard statistics that show a major percentage of boats boarded for suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent MASSIE FIRES BACK AFTER JOHNSON CALLS HIS EPSTEIN RECORDS PUSH 'MEANINGLESS'Earlier this week Paul revealed that he was not invited to a White House lunch with other GOP senators over his tiffs with Trump But Paul revealed he had a previously scheduled Liberty Caucus Lunch with Massie during that time anyway Paul also campaigned with Massie last month and announced he plans to do it again in the near future We had big rallies and a great deal of aid So people think they can waltz into Kentucky with a bunch of New York money and buy a seat They ve got another thing coming Paul recounted POLITICO Massie easily won the GOP primary for his district in securing of the vote before running unopposed in the general polling