Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Friday he doesn’t yet have a first choice for the GOP presidential primary.
However, the Kentucky Republican is sure about one thing.
He stands firmly against Nikki Haley.
Paul announced a new website dedicated to fully exposing Haley’s record.
“As I look over the GOP candidates for President, I don’t yet have a first choice. But I do know one thing: count me in as #NeverNikki! If you want freedom of speech and oppose forever-wars join me,” Paul wrote.
“I’m not yet ready to make a decision, but I am ready to make a decision on someone who I cannot support. I’m announcing this morning that I’m never Nikki,” Paul said in a video posted to X.
WATCH:
As I look over the GOP candidates for President, I don’t yet have a first choice. But I do know one thing: count me in as #NeverNikki! If you want freedom of speech and oppose forever-wars join me ➡️ https://t.co/OBNnT6ZhjP. pic.twitter.com/qxluyL7aIj
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 12, 2024
Paul said he’ll possibly campaign against the former South Carolina governor.
The secret is out. I’m #NeverNikki ➡️ https://t.co/rwxbUMKKBh https://t.co/swVqkD30FX
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 12, 2024
From POLITICO:
In vintage contrarian style, Sen. Rand Paul’s big move in the presidential race is an anti-endorsement of Nikki Haley. And he’s considering whether to campaign against her as she gains steam in New Hampshire.
The Kentucky Republican criticized Haley’s foreign policy stances as those of the “Dick Cheney, John McCain wing of the party” in an interview on Friday morning and said she’s the only candidate the senator would not be comfortable with as the GOP nominee. Paul might even consider supporting independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. if Haley wins the nomination.
The libertarian-leaning senator is using his considerable national following to try and spike her candidacy. He calls himself “Never Nikki” and has launched a website criticizing her policy positions.
“The people who like the stuff that I’ve been doing need to be aware,” said Paul, who advocates cutting foreign aid and government spending overall. “I don’t want her to gain any traction without people knowing fully about her record.”
Paul’s unique position in the primary reflects his often lonely views on foreign policy and spending. And it it is a change of tactics for him to get involved at all. In recent interviews, he’s been studiously neutral on the GOP field.
But Haley’s rising poll numbers in New Hampshire and interest in the approaching early state contests helped motivate him to get involved.
Paul said it was a “possibility” that he will physically campaign against Haley or run ads against her. He said former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to drop out will likely benefit Haley and will make New Hampshire a tight race. So he decided this week “to make sure everybody knew where I stood anyway before the voting started.”
Paul ran for president himself in 2016, eventually endorsing Donald Trump and again supporting the former president in 2020. This time around Paul said he’d be comfortable if Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or Vivek Ramaswamy won the nomination. And he put RFK Jr. in the mix too.
Enough said. #NeverNikki
➡️ https://t.co/rwxbUMKKBh pic.twitter.com/kqv79mlDrV
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 12, 2024
“Based on her record and campaign, I don’t see how any thoughtful or informed libertarian or conservative should vote for @NikkiHaley. If you agree, let your voice be heard,” Paul said.
Go to https://t.co/rwxbUMKKBh today so we can let her and everyone else know she doesn’t have your support. If you’re unsure, keep reading and following.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 12, 2024
From NeverNikki:
Nikki Haley supports Biden and McConnell and the forever-war crowd on funding for the war in Ukraine.
Her thirst for war is so strong she actually said: “I’m sick of talking about a Department of Defense. I want a Department of Offense.” #NeverNikki
She even personally received millions of dollars from the arms merchants who benefit from the war, a conflict of interest that undergirds her eagerness for foreign military intervention.
This position isn’t new either – as governor of South Carolina she gave tax dollars to those same arms merchants, and they showered her with campaign contributions and a seat on their board when she left office.
While most others were decrying the mistakes of the past 20 years, and fighting for an America First foreign policy, Nikki Haley was aligning herself with and declaring her foreign policy allies to be John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
Nikki Haley believes in nearly unlimited foreign aid — we have sent over $100 BILLION we don’t have to Ukraine already and she wants more. But this also isn’t new.
In her book With All Due Respect, she wrote “Humanitarian Assistance will always be a priority for the United States, we will always be generous.”
But Nikki Haley’s “generosity” with your tax dollars and her support for all foreign aid in the context of a $34 TRILLION dollar debt is in no way libertarian or conservative.
Beyond the issues of endless wars, Nikki Haley’s lack of respect for freedom of speech is shocking to anyone who believes in the constitution.
Nikki Haley believes that all internet posters should be registered and verified. This flies in the face of a free American Republic whose founders wrote anonymously the Federalist Papers and routinely posted newspaper articles and pamphlets under Pseudonyms.
Anyone who doesn’t fully believe in free speech or who wants endless wars has no business anywhere near the White House.
But wait, there’s more.
Nikki Haley routinely praised the mission of the United Nations, the results they achieved, and the people who ran it.
First up, her quote “I believe the U.N. does valuable work.” By that she means your tax dollars since the US is the primary funder of UN.
She repeatedly praised the U.N. Secretary General (former president of Socialist International) and declared that they “think alike.”
Did I mention that I am **Never **Nikki?
Nikki Haley disagreed with President Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and Afghanistan and defended continued U.S. presence in both places.
If you want to move quickly to domestic policy, in South Carolina, Nikki Haley advocated for a gas tax hike, a state-run vaccine registry and never lifted a finger for school choice.
I am Never Nikki and I hope you will be too.
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