Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) will be participating in Thursday night's Republican presidential debate on Fox News and Donald Trump will not be, and that's just fine with Paul, he told Megyn Kelly on Wednesday's Kelly File. "Well, to me it's kind of a twofer — I feel like I've got a double win," Paul said of Trump's absence. "I'm in the main debate, and I don't have to put up with Donald Trump. I really don't think he's added much of substance. I don't think he's really a conservative."
Kelly then turned to Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), saying the knock on him is that nobody in the Senate likes him. "You're in the U.S. Senate — do you like him?" she asked. Paul didn't bite, exactly. "I think the biggest challenge Cruz faces now is authenticity," he said, listing some issues where he says Cruz has flip-flopped. And when Kelly asked if Cruz's Canadian birth would be an issue, Paul said "it would be extraordinary to have someone born in Canada as a nominee or as a president," adding that Democrats would probably take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court. So Paul may be glad Trump won't be on stage with him Thursday night, but he isn't afraid to echo Trump's lines about Cruz. Watch below. Peter Weber
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.
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness TestSpeed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib BukeleSpeed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on CanadaSpeed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governorSpeed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nearsSpeed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardonTalking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top courtSpeed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunitySpeed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein
