Sen. Rand Paul on Sunday criticized President Donald Trump's military mission off Venezuela's coast, warning that the U.S. seizures of multiple oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea amount to "a provocation and a prelude to war."
"I'm not for confiscating these liners. I'm not for blowing up these boats of unarmed people that are suspected of being drug dealers. I'm not for any of this," the Kentucky Republican said on ABC News' "This Week" in an interview with co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
Paul called the administration's approach to suspected drug traffickers "bizarre and contradictory," pointing to what he described as uneven treatment of those accused of narcotics-related crimes.
"Then, why is the former president [Juan Orlando] Hernandez of Honduras, who was in jail for 45 years, why is he released?" Paul asked. "So, some narco-terrorists are really OK and other narco-terrorists we're going to blow up. And then some of them, if they're not designated as a terrorist, we might arrest them."
The comments came as the U.S. continues maritime operations in the Caribbean tied to the administration's broader push against alleged trafficking networks and what it says are illicit oil shipments connected to Venezuela.
Paul framed the tanker seizures as a step that could escalate tensions and draw the United States closer to a wider conflict.
In the same interview, Paul also signaled he intends to keep pressing for a more traditional free-market posture inside the Republican Party, distancing himself from the direction he says is being taken by some newer leaders.
Asked by Karl whether Vice President JD Vance is the party's "heir apparent," Paul said he wants more GOP voices who support international trade, free-market capitalism, and low taxes.
"I think there needs to be representatives in the Republican Party who still believe international trade is good, who still believe in free-market capitalism, who still believe in low taxes," Paul said.
"So I'm going to continue to try to lead a conservative free market wing of the party, and we'll see where things lead over time," he added.
When Karl noted that description does not fit Vance, Paul replied, "No."
Paul also addressed U.S. retaliatory strikes in Syria, saying it is understandable to want to respond when American troops are killed but warning that a small U.S. footprint there increases the risk of being pulled into another conflict.
He said the current deployment — which he estimated at roughly 900 to as many as 1,500 troops — is "a target and a tripwire," rather than a force capable of fighting a war.
"So we've done this retaliatory strike. Now, now, Donald Trump ought to do what Donald Trump proposed in the first administration," Paul said, urging a U.S. exit from Syria and saying "there's no reason for us to be in Syria."
On healthcare, Paul renewed his criticism of the Affordable Care Act and questioned proposals to extend subsidies, saying he believes additional subsidies have coincided with higher premiums.
He promoted an idea that would let people who buy coverage on the individual marketplace band together through large retailers to negotiate better rates.
"I have a plan that says everybody in this marketplace, and it's only about 4%, everybody in this marketplace should be able to go to Amazon or Costco or Sam's Club and as a group negotiate with Big Insurance to bring prices down," Paul said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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