President Trump on Friday responded to Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) objection to a proposal by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) aimed at stopping members of Congress from receiving pay during the ongoing government shutdown. Trump slammed Paul’s move, calling it “so interesting.”
“Rand Paul, who never votes for anything, tried to stop it, because he wanted to be paid!” Trump said. “Rand wanted to pay the people who stopped Government from working! What’s going on with Rand?”
Full statement below:
It was so interesting yesterday when our Great Senator from Louisiana, John Kennedy, introduced a bill in an attempt to withhold Members of Congress from getting paid during the shutdown. Rand Paul, who never votes for anything, tried to stop it because he wanted to be paid!
In other words, Rand wanted to pay the people who stopped Government from working! What’s going on with Rand?
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Kennedy introduced his “No Shutdown Paychecks to Politicians Act,” which calls for an immediate halt to congressional pay during the shutdown and the elimination of back pay once government funding is restored.
However, when Kennedy asked for unanimous consent to immediately pass his bill, Rand Paul was quick to object.
“I think it’s time that instead of closing the government down further, we begin to open up government,” Paul said, arguing that Senators “ought to be paid” despite failing to ensure everyone else is paid.
“I’m perhaps the most conservative member of the Senate. I vote to cut spending on everything,” he added. “I think we spend way too much, but I’m not for cutting the salaries of people who have a contract and who are doing their work.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/11/trump-slams-rand-paul-opposing-senator-john-kennedys/