Major Controversies Surrounding Rand Paul: A Detailed Timeline
Public opinion and media debates around Rand Paul—discover key moments of controversy.
Rand Paul is an American politician and the junior United States Senator from Kentucky, serving since 2011. As a Republican, he identifies as a constitutional conservative and a supporter of the Tea Party movement. He is known for his libertarian political views, often compared to those of his father, Ron Paul, a former U.S. Representative and presidential candidate. Paul's political positions often emphasize limited government, individual liberty, and a non-interventionist foreign policy. He has been involved in debates on issues ranging from government surveillance to healthcare and fiscal policy.
1964: Civil Rights Act Controversy
In 2010, Rand Paul's campaign faced controversy due to his comments on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Despite favoring most of the act, he questioned the constitutionality of Title II.
1999: Incorporated National Board of Ophthalmology
In 1999, Rand Paul incorporated the National Board of Ophthalmology (NBO) as an alternative certification system.
2000: NBO renewal paperwork not filed
In 2000, Rand Paul did not file the required paperwork with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office for the NBO's renewal to operate.
2000: KTU legally dissolved
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2010 that, although Paul had told a Kentucky television audience as recently as September 2009 that KTU published ratings each year on state legislators' tax positions, the group had been legally dissolved by the state in 2000 after failing to file registration documents.
2002: KTU ratings stopped
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2010 that, although Paul had told a Kentucky television audience as recently as September 2009 that KTU published ratings each year on state legislators' tax positions, the group had stopped issuing its ratings and report cards after 2002.
2010: Supported Constitutional Amendment to Ban Same-Sex Marriage
In 2010, Rand Paul supported a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage nationwide.
2010: Wall Street Journal Report
In 2010, The Wall Street Journal reported that KTU had stopped issuing ratings after 2002 and had been legally dissolved in 2000.
2011: Dissolved National Board of Ophthalmology
In 2011, Rand Paul's recreated National Board of Ophthalmology was dissolved.
2011: Blocked refugee benefits bill
In October 2011, Rand Paul blocked a bill to provide $36 million in benefits for elderly and disabled refugees, expressing concern that it could aid domestic terrorists, particularly after two alleged terrorists in his hometown were found to be receiving welfare benefits. He lifted the hold after a promise of a congressional hearing and investigation into refugee selection processes.
2012: Received funding from oil, gas, and coal interests
According to The Guardian, Paul has received over $250,000 from oil, gas and coal interests since 2012.
October 2013: Plagiarism Controversy
In October 2013, Rand Paul faced controversy over alleged plagiarism in a speech supporting Ken Cuccinelli, quoting verbatim from a Wikipedia article about the movie "Gattaca" without citation. Further allegations surfaced regarding copied sentences in other speeches and passages in his book, leading The Washington Times to discontinue his column. Paul responded to the allegations by saying he was being held to an "unfair standard".
2013: Advising Medical Students on Misinformation
In 2013, Rand Paul advised medical students to "try to trick your opponents" using misinformation during a speech at the University of Louisville.
2013: Filibuster on drone policy
In March 2013, Rand Paul filibustered for 12 hours and 52 minutes to delay the confirmation vote of John O. Brennan as Director of the CIA. Paul questioned the Obama administration's drone policy and its legal justification for potential domestic use, seeking assurance that non-combatants on U.S. soil would not be targeted.
February 2014: Filed Lawsuit Against Government Surveillance
In February 2014, Rand Paul joined FreedomWorks in filing a class action lawsuit against the federal government's bulk collection of phone records metadata, alleging it violated the Fourth Amendment.
2014: "Hillary's Losers" Social Media Campaign
During the 2014 election, Rand Paul launched a social media campaign titled "Hillary's Losers" targeting Democratic candidates endorsed by Hillary Clinton.
February 2, 2015: Vaccination Remarks on Conservative Radio
On February 2, 2015, Rand Paul told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham that "most" vaccinations ought to be voluntary, sparking controversy regarding parental rights and state mandates.
2015: Senate Floor Speech Against PATRIOT Act Provisions
In 2015, Rand Paul spoke for ten and a half hours on the Senate floor against renewing provisions of the PATRIOT Act, citing constitutional concerns.
2015: View on Same-Sex Marriage
In 2015, following the Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex marriage, Rand Paul said he disagreed but believed all Americans have the right to contract.
March 2017: Introduced Stop Arming Terrorists Act and clashed with McCain
In March 2017, Rand Paul introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, aiming to prevent U.S. funds from assisting groups like Al Qaeda and ISIL. Senator John McCain accused Paul of being a Putin agent after Paul objected to adding Montenegro to NATO, leading to a heated exchange between the two senators.
2017: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
In a segment on Fox News, which went viral, comedian Jon Stewart and 9/11 first responder John Feal rebuked Paul, accusing him of hypocritical "fiscal responsibility virtue signalling", for delaying passage of the bill, while at the same time he voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which increased the deficit.
April 2018: Criticism of U.S.-Saudi Arabia alliance
In April 2018, Rand Paul criticized the U.S.-Saudi Arabia alliance, highlighting Saudi Arabia's funding of radical madrassas and its alleged supply of arms to ISIS in the Syrian civil war. He also stated that the U.S.-backed Saudi blockade of Yemen aggravated the humanitarian crisis.
July 2018: Criticism of Special Counsel Investigation and Vote Against NATO Support
In July 2018, Rand Paul described the Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election as a "witch hunt on the president". Also in July 2018, Paul was among only two senators to vote against a Senate motion supporting NATO.
August 2018: Meeting with Russian Senators in Moscow
In August 2018, Rand Paul traveled to Moscow and met with several Russian senators, including Sergey Kislyak.
December 2018: Played down Trump's campaign finance violations
In December 2018, Rand Paul played down alleged campaign finance violations involving President Trump, suggesting they were paperwork errors and not something that should be "over-criminalized."
2018: Call for Investigation of National Science Foundation Grant
In 2018, Rand Paul called for an investigation of a National Science Foundation grant related to climate change education for meteorologists, characterizing it as "propagandizing" rather than science.
May 2019: Opposition to Subpoena of Donald Trump Jr.
In May 2019, Rand Paul opposed the decision of the Senate Intelligence committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. to testify about his involvement with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign.
July 17, 2019: Blocked 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund renewal
On July 17, 2019, Rand Paul blocked Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's motion for unanimous consent on a bill renewing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. He sought a vote on an amendment to offset the spending with other cuts, leading to criticism from Jon Stewart and John Feal. Paul defended his position, citing his insistence on "pay-go provisions".
September 2019: Court of Appeals Vacates Boucher's Sentence
In September 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated Rene Boucher's initial sentence of 30 days for assaulting Rand Paul, deeming it "unreasonably short."
November 4, 2019: Call to Reveal Whistleblower Identity
On November 4, 2019, Rand Paul urged the media to disclose the identity of the whistleblower who exposed Trump's Ukraine quid pro quo, even threatening to reveal the name himself.
January 2020: Tweet on Climate Change
In a January 2020 tweet, Rand Paul stated that humans would likely survive for hundreds of millions of years despite climate predictions, suggesting the creation of atmospheres on suitable moons or planets.
February 2020: Criticism of YouTube for Removing Speech Video
In February 2020, Rand Paul criticized YouTube for taking down a video of his speech on the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The speech included a controversial question about a House Intelligence Committee staffer's relationship.
February 26, 2020: Wife's Stock Purchase and Delayed Disclosure
On February 26, 2020, Rand Paul's wife purchased stock in Gilead Sciences, a company producing a COVID-19 treatment. The disclosure of this transaction was delayed by 16 months, raising concerns about insider trading.
March 22, 2020: Tests Positive for COVID-19
On March 22, 2020, Rand Paul announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. Senator to contract the virus.
May 2020: Criticism of Kentucky's Stay-at-Home Orders
In May 2020, Rand Paul criticized Kentucky's Democratic governor Andy Beshear and his stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, labeling them as "dictatorship."
August 2020: Confrontation by Protestors
In August 2020, Rand Paul and his wife were confronted by protestors after attending the Republican National Convention. The protestors voiced concerns about the shooting of Breonna Taylor, despite Paul having previously authored a bill named after Taylor to ban no-knock warrants.
September 23, 2020: Clash with Anthony Fauci at Senate Committee Hearing
At a Senate committee hearing on September 23, 2020, Rand Paul clashed with Anthony Fauci regarding the CDC's COVID-19 mitigation recommendations, including mask-wearing and social distancing. Fauci and Paul had disagreements on the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies.
December 2020: Claims of a Stolen Election
In December 2020, Rand Paul claimed the election "in many ways was stolen," but he later accepted the state-certified electors that named Biden.
2020: Arguments Regarding Electoral College
In 2020, after the January 6th Capitol attack, Rand Paul defended the Electoral College while condemning the violence, and continued to make false claims of election fraud.
2020: Refusal to Accept Biden's Victory
In 2020, following the presidential election, Rand Paul initially refused to accept Joe Biden's victory and falsely claimed that the election was "stolen."
January 2021: Questioning Trump's Second Impeachment
In January 2021, Rand Paul questioned the constitutionality of Trump's second impeachment trial and defended him against charges of inciting insurrection.
July 2021: Debate with Anthony Fauci on COVID-19 Origin
In July 2021, Rand Paul debated Anthony Fauci at Senate hearings on the origin of COVID-19, expressing concerns about lab work risks. Fauci responded to Paul's allegations and called him a liar.
August 11, 2021: Disclosure of Wife's Investment in Gilead Sciences
On August 11, 2021, Rand Paul disclosed that his wife, Kelley Paul, had purchased a stake in Gilead Sciences, a company that manufactures an antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19. The purchase occurred on February 26, 2020.
August 2021: Suspension from YouTube for COVID-19 Misinformation
In August 2021, Rand Paul was suspended from YouTube for a week after publishing a video with false claims about the effectiveness of masks against COVID-19.
January 2022: Video Resurfaces of Paul Advising on Misinformation
In January 2022, a video from 2013 resurfaced showing Rand Paul advising medical students to use misinformation to trick opponents.
March 2023: Blocking TikTok Ban
In March 2023, Rand Paul blocked Republican Senator Josh Hawley's bill to ban TikTok in the United States, citing First Amendment concerns.
January 11, 2024: Announcement of Anti-Endorsement Against Nikki Haley
On January 11, 2024, Rand Paul announced a major announcement about the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries planned for the following morning.
2090: 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund renewal
On July 17, 2019, Rand Paul blocked Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's motion for unanimous consent on a bill renewing the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund along with Utah Senator Mike Lee. The bill would renew it until the year 2090.
