Rand Paul attacks ‘immaturity’ of White House after rescinded picnic invitation, says he’s lost a ‘lot of respect’ for Trump
CNN
GOP Sen. Rand Paul is accusing the White House of “immaturity” and engaging in “petty vindictiveness” after he and his family were disinvited from the annual White House picnic long held with members of both parties.
GOP Sen. Rand Paul is accusing the White House of “immaturity” and engaging in “petty vindictiveness” after he and his family were disinvited from the annual White House picnic long held with members of both parties. Paul, a libertarian-minded deficit hawk who has been raising deep concerns over President Donald Trump’s sweeping policy bill, said his family – including his nearly six-month-old grandson — had been planning on attending Thursday’s bipartisan picnic on the White House lawn. But Paul said their invitation was abruptly rescinded with no real explanation, even as the move came after Trump and his aides have been bashing Paul over his position on the president’s bill for days. “The level of immaturity is beyond words,” Paul said of the White House, adding that he’s lost “a lot of respect” for Trump. “It’s just incredibly petty,” Paul told CNN outside the Capitol on Wednesday evening. “I’m arguing from a true belief and worry that our country is mired in debt and getting worse. And they choose to react by uninviting my grandson to the picnic. I don’t know. I just think it really makes me lose a lot of respect I once had for Donald Trump.” CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. The move could be a risk for Trump. To pass his agenda through the Senate, he can only afford to lose the support of three Republican senators. Paul has indicted he couldn’t support the bill because it includes an increase of the national debt limit, but he’s said he’d be open to considering it if GOP leaders removed that from the overall bill. The White House and top Republicans have rebuffed Paul’s demand.
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