Sen. Rand Paul: Trump most anti-war president ‘in a generation’
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul commends Trump for ending wars on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
President Trump’s effort to end the United States' war with Afghanistan earned Sen. Rand Paul's endorsement, and the lawmaker explained why on Wednesday following the second night of the Republican National Convention.
“I think ISIS, I think the terrorism, the breeding grounds in Libya, they came from getting rid of a government with nothing to replace it, and, so, I think President Trump really gets this,” Paul, R-Ky., told “America’s Newsroom."
“I’ve been with him at Dover to see the young men come home to be received by their families after their deaths in war and it moves him and I think he truly wants to end the Afghan war, and that is why I am supporting him,” Paul said.
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Paul, during the second night of the Republican National Convention, praised Trump as someone who “gets things done” as he called for voters to support the president's reelection "if you hate war like I hate war."
Paul, a staunch conservative libertarian who challenged Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, began his speech Tuesday night recalling how “down to earth” the president is.
“Donald Trump and I met many years ago, before he was running for anything. When I first met him, I recall being struck by how down to earth he was. He seemed like just a normal guy,” Paul said. “OK — a normal guy with his own plane and helicopter.”
Paul recalled planning a medical mission to Guatemala to perform charity eye surgeries and needing money to fund the trip.
“Donald Trump offered to help, and immediately come through for us and those kids,” Paul said. “We performed hundreds of surgeries in both countries. Nothing is more beautiful to me in this world than removing the bandages from a person’s eyes, and watching them as they see their loved ones again. Donald Trump helped me make that happen.”
“A few years later, we were opponents, both running for president,” said Paul, who clashed with Trump as rivals before becoming allies. “We all know how that turned out.”
He added: “I’m proud of the job Donald Trump has done as president.”
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Paul told anchor Sandra Smith that his father and former senator Ron Paul's stance against war was not well received by the GOP establishment in 2008, however, the party is shifting to being accepting of less war and military intervention.
“It was a novel idea to think that we shouldn’t always be at war,” Paul said.
Paul went on to say, “People still after 9/11 thought we should be everywhere all the time. But now that they see that it’s not so much about war. In Afghanistan, we’re spending $50 billion a year. We’re building roads for them and bridges and they get blown up again. People see the futility in this, and I think the party that wasn’t ready for my dad in 2008, actually is much more accepting of the positions of less war and military intervention, but, largely because of President Trump expressing similar views.”
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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