Rand Paul plans to slam Trump as a 'fake conservative' in tonight's GOP debate

Rand Paul says he isn't going to let Donald Trump get off so easy the second time around. The Kentucky senator tells Politico that he thinks he treaded a little too lightly around Trump in the first GOP debate, so during tonight's debate he's planning to step up his game and confront The Donald as a "fake conservative."
"I think I'll probably try to be a little more aggressive with him," Paul told Politico, adding that Trump is "sophomoric in his diatribe" and that "his rhetoric seems to be stuck in junior high."
With Trump soaring in the polls — he's ahead of Paul by 24 points in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll — Paul says he plans to use the debate to "try to grab the attention of the American electorate."
Subscribe to The 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.
"Numbers don't change from being passive," Paul said. "You either go out and... try to grab the attention of the American electorate or you don't."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges