Sen. Rand Paul has accused the Trump administration of targeting him following his uninvitation from a White House picnic for members of Congress. The libertarian-leaning Republican from Kentucky asserts that the decision was an act of petty retaliation against his criticism of Trump’s policies, particularly on issues like spending and tariffs.
Paul disclosed that he learned of his exclusion when he reached out about picking up tickets, only to be informed that he and his family would not be allowed to attend. He did not confirm whether the President or a White House staffer had made the call to uninvite him, though he expressed deep disappointment, calling the ‘level of immaturity is beyond words.’ The senator emphasized that he had been nothing but polite to the President, adding that the administration’s actions were ‘incredibly petty.’
Prior to this incident, Paul had generally supported Trump, though he had occasionally criticized the administration’s policies in areas such as spending and tariffs. He is currently the Senate GOP’s sole ‘no’ vote on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’ Paul also accused White House staff of running a ‘paid influencer campaign’ against him for two weeks on Twitter, claiming that the White House had ‘called them from the White, House and offered them money to attack me online.’
Additionally, Paul took a veiled swipe at Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller, suggesting that certain White House staffers were ‘basically going around casually talking about getting rid of habeas corpus.’ A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, leaving the situation’s resolution uncertain.