Rand Paul: 'We have come to take our country back'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Declaring that "both parties and the entire political system are to blame," Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday announced his 2016 presidential candidacy.
"We the people must rise up and demand action," he said.
In his campaign kickoff, Paul vowed to end NSA surveillance on his first day in office, and called for congressional term limits and a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. And in a notable evolution from his past dovish stance on foreign policy, Paul insisted that "radical Islam" is the nation's enemy and he would "do anything it takes to defend America from these haters of mankind." Paul joins Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as the only major candidates from either party to formally join the race.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
