Despite Trump attacks, KY Sen. Rand Paul stands defiant on ‘big, beautiful bill’
Another Kentucky Congressman has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.
This time, it’s Sen. Rand Paul, one of the Senate’s most vocal opponents of the Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill” narrowly passed by the House last month.
“If the bill were solely about making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, I wouldn’t be a yes; I’d be a hell yes,” Kentucky’s junior senator wrote on social media. “Unfortunately, that’s not the reality with this bill. It includes the largest increase of the debt ceiling ever and will have the United States borrowing $5T over the next 2 years.
“This bill is the opposite of conservative, and we should not pass it.”
A Congressional Budget Office estimate predicted the bill, if passed, would grow the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over the next decade.
But Trump, who has seen near-unanimous support from Republicans on an array of issues early in his second term, disagrees.
“Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming,” the president posted Tuesday morning on social media. “He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!”
A few minutes later, Trump lashed out at Paul in another post.
“Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!”
Paul has been elected to the Senate three times by Kentucky voters, most recently winning in 2022 with nearly 62% of the vote.
Paul finds himself in the company of another Republican from Kentucky on Trump’s bad side.
Rep. Thomas Massie, who represents Northern Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, was one of just two House Republicans to vote against the bill. The other GOP opponent was Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson.
The bill ultimately passed 215-214, sending it to the Senate for further consideration.
It was widely reported by Washington news outlets that Trump went after Massie to his face in a mid-May caucus meeting before the House vote.
“I don’t think Thomas Massie understands government. I think he’s a grandstander,” Trump said to reporters.
Massie was undeterred, and he later joked about his encounter with the president.
Trump also slammed Massie in March for opposing a continuing resolution on government funding.
“I will lead the charge against him. He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Cheney before her historic, record-breaking fall loss! The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???” Trump wrote on social media.
Massie, like Paul, easily won his last election, trouncing two primary challengers in 2024. He had no Democratic opponent in the general election.
And, the Trump attack helped his campaign raise more than $200,000 in contributions at the time.
Joining Paul and Massie in opposition to the bill was Elon Musk, who publicly broke ranks with the president on the “big, beautiful bill” after leaving his role with the Department of Governmental Efficiency initiative.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” the world’s richest man posted on X, his social media site. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
“He’s right,” Massie posted.
“I agree with Elon. We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake,” Paul posted. “We can and must do better.”
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
