Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) continues to withhold his endorsement from former President Donald Trump despite Robert F. Kennedy Jr. exiting the presidential race.
Paul is one of Kennedy’s most vocal supporters on Capitol Hill, but his decision to suspend his independent run for president and endorse Trump on Aug. 23 has not quite convinced Paul to get off the sidelines.
He told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that Kennedy’s endorsement helps “a lot” and that he is generally supportive of Trump, but he raised concerns over the debt and wanted assurances a second Trump administration would help him obtain documents on the origins of the coronavirus.
“We have let the Trump campaign know that we’re open to a conversation if they want the endorsement, but the ball is in their court,” Paul said.
The demands reflect Paul’s unique brand of politics. He is a lifelong Republican, but his libertarian bent has at times put him in conflict with Trump and other GOP leaders.
He voiced concern Trump would appoint another hawkish national security adviser if he wins in November, like he did with John Bolton in 2018, and expressed frustration over the $8 trillion in debt the former president accrued during his four years in office.
But Paul, a leading GOP critic of pandemic-era safety precautions, seemed especially interested in getting help on his investigation into COVID-19. He wants all documents that might shed light on whether the National Institutes of Health understood the risks of “gain of function” research at the Wuhan, China, lab where Paul believes the coronavirus first originated.
The coronavirus could have also occurred in nature, spreading at a wet market in the same region.
“I think that there still are answers that we need to hear from NIH, and I think a new president could help,” he said.
Paul is part of a small contingent of Senate Republicans who have not endorsed Trump. At least one, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), does not offer endorsements to any candidates, but most holdouts are opposed to his run for president.
Among them, Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have openly said they won’t be voting for Trump in November.
Paul, for his part, said the difference between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is “night and day.” He previously told the Washington Examiner that even when Kennedy was in the race, he was never considering endorsing outside the Republican Party.
But that endorsement for Trump won’t be coming unless he asks, Paul said.
“As far as enthusiastically getting out and campaigning, I let the campaign know that if they want to talk, I am persuadable, but I want to hear more,” he said.
Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump was viewed as essential to him winning a slate of swing states where he fought to get his name on the ballot. Kennedy threatened to pull disproportionately from Trump’s base of support with his anti-establishment platform and vaccine skepticism.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Paul said he was pleased with some of Trump’s proposals, including a government efficiency commission led by X CEO Elon Musk. He also predicted Kennedy joining Trump would mean more input on which public health officials get chosen.
Last month, Trump named Kennedy to his presidential transition team.
