Launching a scathing attack against Republican Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul said he admires a couple of the GOP presidential contenders, but he is adamant about one thing that he is “never Nikki.”
The leading libertarian in Congress and a Republican, Paul, accused former South Carolina governor Haley of advocating "endless wars" and unrestricted funding for Ukraine and other nations. He also launched a website slamming her policy positions.
“I am #NeverNikki and I hope you will be too,” Paul, who advocates reducing government expenditures overall and foreign aid, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He further slammed Haley for disagreeing with then US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull American troops out of Syria and Afghanistan and defending continued US presence in both the countries.
“The people who like the stuff that I've been doing need to be aware,” said Paul, adding that “I don't want her (Nikki) to gain any traction without people knowing fully about her record.”
In an interview on Friday morning, Paul stated that there was a "possibility" that he might run advertisements or go door-to-door against Haley, reported Politico.
{{/usCountry}}In an interview on Friday morning, Paul stated that there was a "possibility" that he might run advertisements or go door-to-door against Haley, reported Politico.
{{/usCountry}}“I do like a lot of the aspects of at least three people on the Republican side as well as Bobby Kennedy. I'm absolutely dead certain Nikki Haley would be wrong for our country,” Paul said. “And I do have some voice. I want to make sure my voice is heard.”
Also Read: Nikki Haley's open challenge to Trump, doesn't want him barred from 2024 ballot
Will Paul endorse Trump or Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?
Paul's stance comes a day after he teased an election announcement ahead of the Iowa caucuses, hinting that he would back Trump or independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the presidential race.
He, however, emphasised that he liked aspects of the campaign run by Florida governor Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
“I’ve stayed out of the Republican Presidential Primary so far – but I’ve seen enough. That’s why tomorrow morning I will have something important to say. Don’t miss it!” Paul wrote on X on Thursday afternoon, urging his followers to “tune in tomorrow morning”.
Responding to Paul's announcement, the account ‘Republicans Against Trump’ on X wrote, “Let me guess: you will endorse the president who added $8 trillion to the national debt, more than any president in 4 years in history”.
Paul is a former contender of Trump. But he has supported Trump's campaign in 2016 and even endorsed him in 2020.
Trump, who is currently leading most polls in the GOP primary, has at least 19 endorsements from US senators, The Hill reported. However, his rivals -- Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis -- do not have any endorsements from the Senate.
Meanwhile, Haley has significantly narrowed the gap with Trump in the Republican primary race in New Hampshire, according to latest CNN Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire. Trump has maintained a lead with 39% support among likely Republican primary voters, while Haley trails at 32%. Other candidates, such as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, lag behind with 12% and 8% respectively.