Washington, D.C. — Sen. Rand Paul suggested Sunday that he would not support Vice President JD Vance as the Republican nominee for president in 2028, citing sharp disagreements with the Trump administration’s trade and tariff policies.
Speaking on ABC News’s “This Week,” Paul pushed back on the idea that Vance is the natural successor to President Donald Trump within the GOP. Paul said the Republican Party needs leaders who continue to believe in free trade, free markets, and limited government, values he argued have been increasingly sidelined.
Paul has been one of the few Republicans willing to openly criticize Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which he says function as taxes on consumers and businesses. He also opposed the administration’s signature domestic legislation, arguing it added to the national debt and contradicted long-standing conservative principles.
“It used to separate conservatives and liberals that conservatives thought it was a spending problem,” Paul said, arguing that today’s protectionist wing of the party has embraced higher taxes through tariffs while celebrating the resulting revenue. Paul said that approach represents a fundamental shift away from traditional conservatism.
The Kentucky senator said he intends to continue leading what he described as a “free-market wing” of the Republican Party, even as it places him at odds with many GOP leaders. When pressed by host Jonathan Karl on whether that vision includes Vance, Paul made clear it does not.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
