'Petty vindictiveness': Trump boots GOP senator who criticized his bill from WH picnic

11 June

Donald Trump gestures at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., December 22, 2024. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has lashed out at the White House, accusing it of “immaturity” and “petty vindictiveness” after being told he and his family could no longer attend the traditional bipartisan White House picnic, CNN reported Wednesday.

The Kentucky Republican, known for his libertarian views and tough stance on federal spending, has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s expansive policy proposal.

According to Paul, his entire family — including his infant grandson — had made plans to attend the event scheduled for Thursday on the White House lawn. However, he told CNN their invitation was suddenly revoked without any clear reason.

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The cancellation came amid mounting tensions between Paul and the Trump administration, which has openly criticized him in recent days for opposing the president’s legislative agenda.

“The level of immaturity is beyond words,” Paul said, noting that he has lost “a lot of respect” for Trump.

Earlier this month, Trump sharply criticized Paul for declining to support a bill central to his domestic agenda. This was part of a growing effort by the president to pressure fellow Republican senators to swiftly back and pass the legislation.

In two posts on his social platform Truth Social, Trump asserted that Paul lacked a clear grasp of the bill and stated: “His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him.”

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Trump also said that Paul habitually votes against legislation, believing it benefits him politically.

Paul had called Trump’s bill the largest increase in America's debt ceiling in history.

"I think it’s a mistake, because once conservative Republicans vote for this.. they will own it. The debt will be owned by the Republicans. There's no more pointing fingers at the Democrats and saying they’re the big spenders," he told Fox News in an interview at the time.

"I'm not going to be one of the Republicans who's going to be responsible for this debt," the Kentucky senator added.

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